Split in Two
by just1cause2im3amazing
Summary: Molly Weasley has given birth to twins, but Voldemort has had tabs kept on them, so Molly has to give her sons to others to raise them. And as most stories go, It all takes a turn for the worst. Honestly, when does it ever just work out for story characters? So here we are. Reading this story. who knows how it'll end?
1. So the story begins

**Disclaimer: Why hello there. No. Yes, of course it was, and Maybe. Does that answer your questions? And now you're looking at me strangely. Fine, I shall write the questions too. The first was, do you own Harry Potter? The second was: Do you wish that your Hogwarts acceptance letter was just lost? And the last was, do you enjoy throwing shovels at people? There. You happy now? Oh and if I have accidentally taken anything that is yours it's not my fault and I shall acknowledge you if I have taken your story. And I'm sorry. But only a little.**

**A/N: Well we meet again, readers. Of course, unless you can't read. Then I guess we can't meet. And I wonder why you're even here in the first place. Anyway, I actually have a reason for this A/N, and that was to tell you that this story was written by myself and another little writing minion called HellZyea. They say 'Hello' by the way, and that they may write their own little messages from time to time. That is all, carry on reading peasants, or minions which ever offends you less.**

Rushing quickly down the streets Molly was hopelessly confused. She was stuck and had no-where to go. Having just given her newly born twin sons to her husband to look after, she rushed out. On this particular day Molly had a perfectly good reason for leaving her twins in her husband's care, for as Voldemort was still at large and Molly knew perfectly well that her family were Blood-traitors. Blood traitors were almost as bad as the Mudbloods these days and her house had already been kept under constant supervision. If they knew that she had given birth to not just the one child she was expecting, but two perfectly healthy twins, she would be in huge trouble. If they knew, she would never see those dear young boys again. So Molly did the only thing she thought that she could do. Molly decided to find foster parents for them, just like she had for her first three boys. But at least she had good families for Bill, Charlie and Percy. This time Molly only had one family lined up and they had told her, it was either one or none. Molly decided that she didn't want any son of hers to be in a family like that, and after a rushed conversation with Arthur, Molly also decided that she didn't want to separate her twins, unless it was completely unavoidable. So that was how she came to be rushing down Muggle London.

"Oh! Sorry!"

Came the voice from the poor girl that Molly had just run into. And Molly was so shocked and surprised by the sudden appearance of this person in front of her.

"Oh no dear, it was my fault. I was rushing and didn't look to where I was going. I didn't hurt you did I dear?"

"Oh no you didn't hurt me. I just wasn't looking where I was going." The woman said, "I guess I'd better introduce myself, I'm Rachel Harris, and you are?" Rachel said politely.

"Oh, thank goodness I didn't hurt you, dear. I'm Molly Weasley," the apologizing mother replied, shaking Rachel's hand gently.

"Well it's nice to meet you Molly," Rachel said, "what are you doing on such a day, to be doing so much rushing around?" she inquired.

"Well, Rachel, I'm looking for foster home for my twins, you see. All of the orphanages here won't accept the babies, and nobody else seems to want them," Molly lied, not wanting this woman to know _real_reason she was looking for a foster home.

"Oh! That's amazing! Twins are such beautiful creatures!" Rachel sighed. "I could take one in, if you needed me to. I know I just met you but this is exactly the kind of opportunity I've been looking for!" she said enthusiastically.

"Really?" Molly said a hopeful tone in her voice. Then she remembered that she didn't want to separate them; but desperate times call for desperate measures. "Oh, thank you, Rachel! I know that you'll be a wonderful mother. Erm, when would you like to me to bring him to you, dear?" She asked,

"That would be lovely! Will he already have a name? Do you want him to know that he had a twin? I need more information, but I would love to have him as my own!" Rachel exclaimed excitedly and to Molly she looked like she would be a good parent for her George.

"George is the baby's name. I think it would be better to have him not know he had a twin, but maybe when they're older..." Molly replied, a sparkle appearing in her eye. Rachel was perfect; she could feel it in her bones.

"Okay, I think that I can do that. Do you want him to know that I'm not his mother? Do you want to visit him? Are there any strange things that I need to be aware of?" Rachel fired off questions.

Molly laughed at Rachel's flurry of questions. "Rachel, if you want to be his mother, let him know that you are his only mother. I think it best if I don't see him, my dear. And, oh, little George is nothing but a sweetheart with bright orange hair, nothing is odd about him, I assure you." _Except for the fact that he comes from a family of wizards_, the mother added to herself.

"Oh, okay. That should be enough... So you want him to take my last name or stay with yours?" she asked another question.

"Let him have your last name," Molly said simply. "If you're his mother he should have your last name as well, dear."

"Okay then. I live at number 25, just down the street here. I'll be waiting for you and George there. I'm going to go set up my house for a child." she grinned at Molly and walked briskly to her house down the street

_Thank you, Merlin, for sending me this woman._Molly thought to herself as she walked back to the Burrow. All she needed now was to find a home for little Fred. But how? Molly ran through all of the wizarding families who might be looking for a child at the moment. The Smithes? No, they had three kids already. The Robins? No, again, they aren't fit for handling a child. Aha! Molly got the right family. The Littletons: they were a new couple who lived not too far from the Burrow; they had no children, but would probably want one.

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Arthur looked up from where he was looking at the Muggle invention called a 'Mica-roe-waving' and saw Molly walking towards the twins who were sleeping next to each other. "Ah, there you are Molly-wobbles, did you find any families that were willing to take them both?" he asked her quietly so as to not wake the twins.

"Oh, Arthur, I met the loveliest Muggle-woman I ever did meet. She's agreed to take George. And I've thought of the most brilliant couple who can take small Fred. You know the family who just moved down the street? They'll be perfect. One child goes to a Muggle family, the other to a wizarding one," Molly explained dreamily, a far off look in her bright brown eyes.

Arthur looked concerned as he answered, "But Mols, we decided that we didn't want our twins separated." he said worriedly.

"It's better if they don't know each other, Arthur," Molly replied sadly. "That way they won't know they're actually brothers, and neither will the Death-eaters, or the Pure-bloods."

Arthur looked like he was going to argue, but was settled by the warning glance that Molly had sent him and he sighed. "If this is what you want, I'll stick by you. So, who are the lucky families that will be getting our boys?" he asked, once again quietly when he realised that his voice had been rising.

Molly sighed and looked like she was trying to remember something. "The Muggle woman's family were called the Harris's, and the wizarding couple are Mr and Mrs Littleton." She said once she had figured it out.

Arthur furrowed his brow and wondered where he had heard the name 'Littleton' before. He dismissed it as a paranoid parental thing. "Have you actually contacted the Littleton's? I somehow doubt it after the conversation we had this morning about not separating the two. I think you should ask them before we get anything settled." he said, giving Molly a look so that she knew that he wanted her do have it done sooner rather than later.

"Yes, of course, dear. I'll send an owl straight away," Molly said, racing over to Errol, the Weasley's owl, and quickly wrote a note to the Littletons before binding it to Errol's leg. She opened a window and Errol flew out into the sky and down the street.

Arthur nodded and went to watch the twins sleep; there wouldn't be many more chances for him to do that anymore.

Molly looked over at him and saw tears gathering in his eyes as he watched George and Fred sleep peacefully. She started to have tears run down her cheeks as well, but dashed them away with the back of her hand. Molly walked over to Arthur and sat down with him, hugging him tight while resting her head on his shoulder. "They'll be fine Arthur. I know they'll be."

Arthur placed his hand on her face. "Of course it will, Molly. I just wish we had more time." he said his voice taking on a shaky quality.

"I do too, love. Believe me, I do," Molly replied. Just then Errol flew back in through the window carrying a reply from the Littletons. Molly looked at her husband with concern and walked over to where their owl had landed. Carefully taking the note from its leg, she read it, her face growing brighter every sentence. "They've agreed!" she cried happily. "They've agreed to have Fred!"

Arthur smiled happily and stood up to hug Molly tightly. "That's wonderful news Molly! This is been a learning experience for the both of us. I just wish that they would know all about us, but they won't. Even though I wish that it was different." He said leaving the embrace of Molly and picking up a twin. "I love you," he said to the child in his arms.

Arthur saw Molly look at him and he saw her smile. Arthur loved the twins so much, and it was heart-wrenching for them to give the twins away to different families, but both Molly and Arthur knew it was for the better cause. This way the Pure bloods wouldn't know about the twins; it would work like it had for Bill, Charlie and Percy. Molly picked up the other twin, Fred, and hugged him close. "You and your brother will be missed, my sweet child. But we'll always remember you..."

Arthur nodded in agreement, "We'll miss you, little-ones. I hope you will be able to return to us some day." he said as he made his way over to Molly and Fred, carrying George. They stood there for a while basking in what could be the last family moment that they could ever have together.


	2. new families

**A/N: Ollo, HellZyea speaking. Hey, what's up people? Answer: THE SKY! lol...Anyways, this chapter is exhilarating so if you want to read about some twinzies come get it here! But, it is a bit...nah; I'll let you guys read it. HellZyea OUT!****  
****P.S. I like cheese and barracudas!**

Mrs. Littleton was pacing around her living room. How did this go wrong so quickly?

She sat down on the couch and recounted everything that had happened to her and her husband since they arrived in England.

First, some strange man came to them, talking politely and exchanging pleasantries, then he and her Husband, Rolf, started talking about strange dark things that she had never heard of before, but that they had clearly talked about before. Then, the same man, talking softly, so that she wouldn't hear them, he said to Rolf that the mission was initiation enough.

What mission? Why was Rolf keeping things from her?

They then set out for their house near a little Muggle village, which only had three other wizard families around, and that same man came around. He said his name was Malfoy when she asked. Then this Malfoy character took her Rolf out and he didn't come back home until very late. He looked beaten and sick, mortified. When she tried to talk to him about it he refused to answer. It wasn't until the next morning that she noticed a new strange tattoo on his forearm. He refused to comment about that either. What had happened next was quite probably the most taxing. One of the families that lived around them asked if they would raise their child. Of course they accepted. Rolf seemed really happy about it for some reason. Maria Littleton sighed she stood up again and got ready for the arrival of the new child that she would be raising.

Maria heard a knock at the door and ran to go and answer it. Opening the door, she saw a woman with orange-red hair and a baby wrapped in a small blue blanket in her arms. This must've been the woman who'd sent the owl. Molly Weasley's note had read in neat, cursive writing. Maria smiled at Molly and beckoned her into the house, the woman thanking her gratefully.  
"You must be Molly Weasley, then?" Maria asked softly. You couldn't be too careful.  
"Yes, I believe I am," Molly replied with the same tone, rocking the baby gently in her arms. "I'm so thankful that you've agreed to take Fred. It means so much to my husband and I."  
Maria nodded in understanding and looked over at the doorway behind her and Molly where footsteps were approaching. Rolf walked into the room and nodded curtly at Molly and the child in her arms.

Maria bit her lip and waited for Molly to explain some things. Molly seemed to be a nice lady all around. Maria learnt that the child's name was Fred Gideon, and that he actually had a twin somewhere. Rolf had looked surprised at that piece of information and had started to inquire where the twin would be going. Molly had dismissed his questions and finished telling them about Fred. Maria was still looking at Rolf strangely, and when she realised that Molly had finished. "Oh, sorry Molly. Yes I'm sure he'll be a wonderful child. We'll take good care of him." she said as she smiled politely.

Maria felt happy as she watched Molly smile and take a look at her baby lovingly. Then her smile turned to a frown and her eyes filled up with tears. "You'd better take him, quickly now, or I'll be a hysterical mess before I leave," Molly said to Maria, trying to laugh, but anyone could tell that she was fighting back a cascade of emotion that could break loose. Maria did as Molly said and took the baby from her. Fred's original mother's hands lingered on his chubby, soft face, but she soon nodded to both Maria and Rolf and hurried herself out the door.  
Maria turned to Rolf who had come over to take a look at young Fred. He smiled and smoothed back the baby's curls of bright orange hair. "Isn't he beautiful?" Maria asked her husband, looking happily at Fred's little round face.

Rolf stood up and approached the two and without saying a word reached for the child. Maria looked at him confused. "I need to take the child away. He is a disgrace to the wizarding race. I will take him away." he said in a bored tone.

"What?!" Maria was horrified. "But, Rolf, we've only just been given him! Haven't we always wanted a child? You said so yourself before we moved here!"  
"I know, Maria, but this child is a mistake, an accident waiting to happen. I have to take him away."  
Maria stood defiantly. "I won't let you, Rolf. I won't let you hurt Fred, just because_you_ think he's a mistake."  
Rolf narrowed his eyes into a glare. "Give him to me, Maria. _Now_."  
"I told you no," she replied icily, returning her husband's glare.  
Rolf stalked over to Maria and raised his fist, swinging forward and hitting her square in the face. Maria cried out and fell to the floor, still holding Fred, her other hand had her face resting in it.

"I don't want to hurt you, Maria." Rolf said darkly."But you must understand. That child is an abomination," Rolf started to walk towards his cowering wife. "Give me the child, Love."

"No!" Maria cried, "You will never get him! I will leave before that would happen!" by this point Fred had started to cry.

Rolf glared at Fred. "Shut him up, woman," he muttered with clenched teeth.  
Maria tried to shush the baby but he kept on crying. "I don't know why you're doing this, Rolf, but whatever it is I don't want to be with you if you continue doing it. I will leave this house if you hurt Fred, but if you leave him alone and don't harm him, I will stay here and do whatever you want me to do."  
"Fine," Rolf replied, walking away, not glancing back to his bruised wife.

Maria sighed. What had she gotten herself into? Well as long as Fred was safe.

"Hush little-one. You're fine now. There is no need to worry, I'll look after you." she said in a soothing voice, even though she felt betrayed and shocked that her nice, kind Rolf would even strike her, let alone try and hurt the child that they had taken in.

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Rachel looked around her lounge room. It looked like it would be a good place to raise a child. Nodding to herself, she sat in the couch closest to her, and checked her watch, it was around ten o'clock. Rachel's daughter Amalie would still be at school, and Alex, her husband would be working for his newspaper company. Rachel sighed. Might as well as tell her husband that she found a new child to take in. after all, Rachel knew that she was unable to have children herself. Amalie was adopted herself. Smiling happily at her good fortune at finding a new child to take in so quickly, Rachel waited for them to turn up.

A knock rapped on the door making Rachel stand up quickly and rush over to the door. Throwing it open she greeted Molly Weasley with a hug, fully aware of the orange-red haired baby nestled in the crook of her visitors arm.  
"So is this George?" Rachel asked sweetly, looking at the baby with utmost caring.  
Molly smiled widely. "Yes, it is, dear."  
"May I?" Rachel asked, wanting to hold the baby in her arms.  
When Molly nodded her head and settled George with Rachel, she smiled one last time at her little one and rushed quickly out the door while Rachel was staring with love at George. When Rachel looked up, Molly had gone. "But where...?" she asked herself, quickly dismissing the question and walking back into the lounge room of her house.

A few hours later, Alex came inside along with Amalie. Amalie was laughing at something that Alex must have said. "Alex, Amalie!" Rachel called out from the lounge room which she had spent most of the day.

"Mummy!" Amalie called out and ran into her open arms.

"How was your day, Rach?" Alex called out as he approached the lounge room. Then he stopped in the doorway staring at the orange-red headed child resting within a bassinet over in the corner of the room.

"You- you found one already?" he whispered softly.

Rachel smiled calmly at Alex. "Yeah, honey. We found one."

Alex came over to Rachel and hugged her. "Thanks, Rach."

"It's a boy!" Amalie gasped. "Oh, he's so cute, Mum! What's his name?"

Rachel recalled Molly saying something about George. "His name is George, sweetie."

"George." Amalie said, testing the name.

"I think that, that's a nice name for him, Rach." Alex said.

Rachel smiled at her little family, and she started to tear up, her family. It was too good to be true.

**A/N: (And we're back to just1cause2im3amazing, obviously) Whoot! Look another chapter! Huzzah! Once again, in collaboration with the brilliant HellZyea. **

**Here's your random question for this week: which is better, A poster of Cornflakes or A chimpanzee?**

**I think that I shall ask random 'which is better?' questions every week. They're fun. So the minion/ peasant people you are should carry on and review your answers (and the story, that would be great). Or carry on with your lives, unless you don't live. Therefore you are a computer. Congratulations. **


	3. At 3 years

Fred-aged 3

Fred waddled into the Littleton's lounge room and saw Maria sitting on the couch reading 'Hogwarts a History'. She turned a page and noticed Fred standing in the doorway of the room.  
"Mummy!" he laughed, toddling over to Maria with a giddy smile on his face.  
Maria chuckled and picked him up, sitting the toddler on her lap and nuzzling his neck. "Hello, Freddie," she said softly.  
Rolf was suddenly towering over the two, casting a long dark shadow over their faces. Maria looked up and scowled. "What do _you_ want?"

Rolf returned the scowl, "I'm going out to meet Anny tonight. Have dinner ready for when I come back." he said simply. Anny had been Rolf's new lover that he had taken up when Maria refused to let him harm Fred, and Maria was sick of it. She hadn't stood up to him since Fred first arrived.

"No, Rolf. I won't cook for you if you're just going out to see someone that you shouldn't be. After all I am your wife." she said bravely. Fred was looking between the two curiously.

Rolf looked like he was going to punch Maria, but thought better of it and stalked towards the door. "Make the dinner, woman, or you'll regret it severely..." Rolf's voice said as he left Fred and Maria in the lounge room and walked out the front door, slamming it behind him, making Fred jump then giggle hysterically. Maria looked at him with a smile. Fred always had like loud noises; he also seemed to like to play jokes on people. A few weeks ago Fred had given Maria what she thought was a hairbrush, but it had been a rat.  
Rolf had become colder towards Fred as he'd been growing up. Mostly because Maria insisted on protecting him and was now thinking of enrolling him at Hogwarts so that he could have a proper education. Rolf disagreed entirely and tried to hex Maria's mind into forgetting the idea, but she threatened to leave if he completed the hex.

"Mummy," Fred said sheepishly, "Mwake big noise! It go BANG!" he broke out into giggles again. Maria smiled at Fred amused, it pained her that Rolf wouldn't acknowledge Fred as his own. Fred slowly stopped giggling. "Mummy, why he wook at wou funny?" he asked looking at Maria blinking heavily. It made Maria curse the man she had married. "No reason, Freddie, he just wanted dinner." She said softly."Mummy don' want dinner?" he asked her.

"No, of course I want dinner, Freddie, it's just that daddy wants some to be ready for him when he comes back," Maria said in an explanatory tone. "Do you want to help me, sweetie?"  
Fred laughed and clapped happily. "I do, Mummy! I do!"  
Maria took Fred's small hand in hers and walked them both into the kitchen to prepare dinner, having to eat it without Rolf there again.

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George-Age 3

"Mummy!" George walked over to Rachel with a smile on his chubby little face. "Look what I found!"  
Rachel looked up from the newspaper and saw George walking towards her with their pet cat, Limbo. The cat was struggling to get out of George's grasp, but the tyke wasn't letting go. Limbo hissed at George as soon as he put her down, then streaked into the kitchen, a blur of black and white.  
Rachel chuckled at George's confused face and bent down to pick him up.

George pouted at Rachel. "Mummy, Wimbo wun 'way. Why he do dat?" he asked close to tears.

Rachel smiled at him fondly. "Limbo doesn't like being picked up, remember George? Limbo likes the ground."

George perked up, "Oh, oday, Mummy."

Fifteen-year-old Amalie walked into the lounge room and saw George next to Rachel with his back turned to her. Amalie motioned to her mother not to say anything, and then crept up behind George. Her hands closed around his waist then she threw him into the air. George's happy shrieks of laughter filled the house as Amalie caught him and started to tickle.  
"Hewwo, Amawie!" George said happily after his sister had stopped brushing her fingers on his feet and sides.  
"Hello to you, George," Amalie replied cheerily.

"Amawie! Come pway wif me!" George cried tugging Amalie by the hand, "I pway wif Wimbo!" he said happily, still taking Amalie as hostage.

Rachel just shook her head. That boy was going to get into some serious trouble when he gets older, if he isn't careful.

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"Amawie…" George asked timidly.

Amalie looked up from the sandcastle that she had been making with George. She brushed off the excess sand that was stuck on her hands.

"What's the matter Georgie?" she asked looking at him curiously.

"Amawie, can you mwake fings fwy?" he asked seriously.

Amalie sat there deciphering the childish babble, when she got the sentence. And she looked at George with an amused confusion.

"Make things fly? No-one can make things fly, George." She scoffed, lightly chuckling, until she saw George's face. It was crumpling and looked sad and worried. Scared, to sum it up in one word. "George? Are you okay?" she asked softly.

George met her gaze for about ten seconds before he started to cry silently.

Amalie jumped to his side and wrapped him up in a big hug. "Georgie?" she asked inquiringly

"Am-Amawie…" he started to say but a sob came out, "Why can I mwake fings fwy?" he whimpered, "Y-You said N-no-one can."

Amalie was seriously confused. "Can you show me George? Show me how to make things fly."

George looked at her with tear filled eyes. "Oday, Amawie."

Amalie watched as George scrunched his face in concentration, then a plastic truck that had been resting a good distance away, rose up into the air. Amalie gasped and stared at the truck as if it was haunted. The truck came over and landed in George's lap. George looked at the truck with a tilted head, then he looked at Amalie.

"Wook Amawie! I mwake twuck fwy!" He cried cheerfully.

Amalie was still in a state of shock.

"G-George," she said recovering slightly, "Y-you can't tell anyone that you can do that. O-okay? Not even Mum and Dad. Don't do that again. Not unless you have to and there's no other choice. Do you understand me George?" she asked blinking rapidly at the truck.

George bit his lip, "Oday," he said happily and started to play with the truck. Amalie sat there not doing anything until their mother called them to come inside for dinner. The truck was soon forgotten overpowered by the thought of food. Neither mentioned the incident.

I feel inclined to say that this was once again with the wonderful HellZyea, and that the disclaimer from the first chapter, is for all the chapters. Yes I caved and couldn't wait the week to update…


	4. At 5 years

**Well hi. You all know how in the first chapter I wrote a disclaimer? Yeah, it goes for the whole story. And you know how I said at the end of it that I apologise if I accidentally stole a story line/plot thing? Well I found a story uncannily like this one by TeamGredandForge. It's called 'Separation' and it is very interesting to read. Gives to the imagination you know? So anyway, which is better, a packet of cat food, or a glob of waterlogged paper? :P I don't even know…**

Fred - 5 years

"Oi! You!" Rolf shouted from the front door, pointing to Fred, "Yes you, you weak, pathetic excuse of a human! Go get my slave." he said dismissively as he walked past him. But Fred was having none of it. He was sick of this - this, _man,_insulting his mother.

"No, I can't," he said innocently, "You don't have a slave."

Rolf stopped in his tracks and turned on his heel. "_Excuse me_?!" he said, his lip curling in anger. "_You_certainly have no right to tell me no, you little son of a banshee."  
Fred gasped. His mother had always told him not to curse to anyone. "You just said a bad word!" Fred said in disgust and surprise.  
"So what, boy? I can say what I like."  
"Rolf?" Maria stepped into the hallway where Rolf and Fred were having an argument. "What's going on?"  
Her husband stalked over to her and said through clenched teeth, "Your son refuses to obey me!"  
Fred stood up straight and defiantly and replied in a curt tone of voice. "That's because I don't have to. You're not the boss of me, Rolf."  
The man whirled around to face Fred angrily. "How dare you address me like that, you mudblood."

Maria gasped, shocked. Fred, who had also heard what that word meant, paled slightly. "I'm no mudblood, Rolf." Fred said quietly. "Stop acting like one then!" he shouted at Fred, "Maria! Go punish our child!" he demanded.

"No I will not, Rolf" she answered. Rolf glared at her openly.

"Then I will punish you." he said approaching Maria with a staff.

**** Alrighty, so my partner in crime cried at this bit... Serious T****

Fred grabbed Rolf's shirt and tried to pull him away from his mother. "I won't let you hurt her!" he cried.  
Rolf turned to Fred and lifted his cane threateningly. "I know I made a deal with your mother when you were first brought here, but I've had _enough_ of you and your pathetic excuse for a mother." Saying those words, Rolf brought the staff down on Fred, beating with strength and hatred. Maria covered her mouth with her hands as Fred screamed in pain, but she quickly regained her posture and walked over to Rolf.  
"You are a _monster_," she said before punching him in the face with her fist.

"Look who's talking," he said taking his wand out, and pointing it at Fred. He raised his eyebrows at Maria who had stilled at the movement of the wand. "You touch me again and I will do this to him again._Crucio_." and as soon as the words left his mouth Fred screamed a blood curdling scream, writhing on the ground in agony. Maria screamed at her husband running over to him and shoving his wand hand away from Fred.

"How. Dare. You." she spat at him.

"Tut, tut, Maria. I told you to not touch me again," he said smiling bringing the wand back at the crying, whimpering Fred. "_Crucio._"

Fred screamed. Louder and more horrible than the first time. "No!" Maria cried, tears pouring down her face "Stop it! Stop it, Rolf!" Maria let out a shuddering sob. It can't get any worse than this. Then it did. Rolf laughed. A loud joyful laugh and he let the spell fade. Fred stopped screaming and started to shake uncontrollably, while whimpering as the tears fell down his face.

Maria hurried over to Fred's side and hugged him close. "Fred, I'm so sorry..." she breathed as she wept with her son.  
Rolf laughed again. "That'll teach you not to mess with me, boy," he spat the word out like it was poison before walking away. "I'll be at Anny's for the whole night, I think. I can't stand being around you two mudbloods."  
He trudged out of the house and slammed the door behind him. This time, there was no laughing from Fred; no happiness was in the house at all, in fact.  
Maria felt Fred's bruised form go limp. Gasping, she put Fred's chest to her ear to listen for a heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there; Fred was just sleeping. She took Fred in her arms and carried him into his room, setting him down on the bed.  
Maria didn't leave her son's side for one minute that night.

****Safe to look now****

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George-5 years

George sat in bed with Amalie who was reading him a story about wizards and witches.  
"'But yeh must know about yer mum and dad,' Hagrid said. 'I mean they're famous. You're famous.'" Amalie said in a cockney tone.  
As Amalie kept on reading, George started to close his eyes and think about what Hagrid may have looked like. The book said he was like a giant and he had a beard, he also wore a moleskin coat. George's eyes suddenly snapped open as his mother and father called him and his sister out into the kitchen. Amalie put the book down, took George's hand and led him to where their parents resided. Their father had a stern yet sad look on his face and their mum had her head in her hands.  
"Mum?" Amalie asked, going over to her mother and resting one hand on her back.  
George saw his mother's mouth move and Amalie put a hand to her mouth, turning to look at her father in grief. "What's wrong?" George asked in confusion. "Is daddy sick?"  
Amalie looked at George and spoke solemnly, "Dad lost his job. We don't have any money left."  
"Dad can go and get a new job, then."  
"It's not that easy, George..."  
"We'll make it easy! Amalie, you've got a job, see if there's a place there dad can go!"  
George's father smiled hopefully at Amalie. "I'll see what I can do at work, but if it doesn't happen then...well, it'll just have to work," she said returning her father's hopeful and grateful look.  
George looked at his family and smiled to himself. _I'm a big boy now. I fixed daddy's problem!_ He thought happily.  
Only Rachel was still sad, with her head in her hands and droplets of water dripping from her face. George walked over to his mother and patted her knee. She didn't react. George's father had always told him that if his mother was ever like this, it would be best to leave her alone. So, still in doubt, the five-year-old backed away and joined his sister and father in a long bear hug.  
Afterwards, Alex told Amalie to take George and put him to bed then come back out to the kitchen; there was more news to come. When George had been settled, the seventeen-year-old returned to her father. "What is it?" she asked glancing at her weeping mother.  
"Your mother had a doctor's appointment today, just a normal check-up, but they found something wrong with her," Alex replied patting his wife's back. When his daughter looked at him expectantly he continued.  
"She's been diagnosed with cancer."


	5. Older again

**Hello! Look! An update! Yeah… So this is still being done with HellZyea. Hope you'll all have a good day/night/afternoon/morning/evening… etc. **

George – still age 5

George found his mother in the next morning lying on the couch fast asleep. There were still tear stains on her face from the previous night. George walked over to the sleeping form of Rachel and smiled at her calm face. "Mummy?" he said in a whisper. When Rachel groaned in answer, George laughed. "Wake up, mummy! I fixed Daddy's problem for you, mum!"  
Rachel lazily opened one eye and looked at her son with her green eyes. "Hi, Georgie..." she said trailing off as she started to fall back to sleep. George shook her hand to keep his mum awake. "No, mummy, you can't go back to sleep! No one else is awake, so I'll be lonely!"  
Amalie walked into the room and took George's hand gently. "Mum needs her sleep, George. Want to come and play with me?"  
The little boy's face lit up with a smile, and he dragged Amalie back to his room and sat down on the floor, grabbing a toy car. Amalie picked up another one and started to play with George's toys cars with him. "George, can I tell you something?" Amalie asked. Her brother ought to know about his mother's cancer problem. When George looked at her and nodded, she continued. "Mummy has a bad sickness, Georgie; something that could kill her."  
George's eyes grew wide and tears started to fill them. "Mummy's going to die?"  
Amalie didn't want to, but she nodded. "She _might_ die, that doesn't mean she _will_, okay? We just have to make sure that mum stay's nice and healthy, right?"  
"Right," George replied, nodding his head firmly, making him look older than he should be. "Mum isn't going to die."

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Fred – 7

"Mum?" Fred inquired softly. Rolf had just been at home and had hit Maria with his staff. Fred had been outside when it had happened, or he would have intervened like he had been doing since that fateful day when he was 5. That was the first time that he had been Crucio'ed, but it definitely wasn't the last.

"I'm okay Freddie, you don't need to check up on me every time this happens, and you can't stop him every time." Maria said quietly, like she had been crying.

"Oh, Mum," Fred said, as he approached Maria and saw the bruises on her body. "Here give me your wand, I'll heal them."

Fred had been taught quite a few healing spells between the first time he was crucio'ed and now. He healed his mother when he was too slow to take it himself. He had even invented a few healing spells that worked better than the old ones.

Maria handed over her wand to him and he muttered one of his own spells. The bruises disappeared almost immediately. "Thank you, Fred," Maria sighed.

"Please don't let him do that to you Mum. It hurts me." Fred said sitting beside Maria and taking her hand staring worriedly into her eyes.

"If I don't take it, Fred, then you will," she said taking Fred's stare with her own. "I hate when he does it to you. He leaves you on the brink of death every time."

"Oh, Mum." Fred said and he swept her up into a hug, they didn't let go for a while.

But of course those moments couldn't last.

Rolf walked in the room and caught them in their moment of comfort. He glared at them with an open hostility.

"Where's the letter I asked you to write, Mudblood?" he snarled at Maria.

Maria, in response moved slightly behind Fred. Unfortunately Rolf noticed.

**** More Warnings!****

"You haven't finished?!" he exploded. "It looks like hurting you does nothing. _Nothing_. You stupid miserable good for nothing- Argh!" he exclaimed tugging at his hair in annoyance, he whipped his wand out. "Clearly, the only thing that gets through your head is when your son gets what he deserves. _Sectumsempra!" _he cried. Fred yelped as his face and chest were littered with cuts.

"No!" Maria cried, Rolf never tried to prolong using the cruciatus curse. It was always the same thing, Maria would forget to do something and Fred would intervene her punishment. But never had Rolf gone straight for Fred. Let alone make him bleed in her presence. It was mortifying.

Rolf uttered other curses and hexes at Fred, while Maria was whimpering and crying in the corner of the room.

"There. You will do what I ask when I ask of it, Woman." Rolf said when he had decided that Fred had received enough torture for his Mothers behalf. Then he smirked. "But I can't leave a job half done. _Crucio_."

Fred's screams filled the room straight away. As did Maria's. This could literally kill Fred. Then mercifully Rolf stopped. Fred groaned softly signalling that he was still alive.

"Why can't you leave him alone?!" Maria cried.

"I would. If you did your jobs." Rolf replied scowling at her. "Oh, and make that pathetic lump of flesh stop making unnecessary noises." He snapped turning and walking out of the room.

As soon as Rolf had left, Maria approached Fred. "Freddie?" she said her voice shaky and watery.

Fred tried to talk but all that came out was an extra loud groan. Maria sighed a shaky sigh and took the damage in, wondering what to heal first. Fred had large cuts going across his face and upper torso. He had large bruising all over. His left arm looked mangled and broken, while his right one looked just overly bruised. He also looked very pale. A bit too pale. Taking in a breath to gain confidence, Maria started to heal. But even as she was healing she wondered how many wounds did he have that no-one could see. Large emotional and mental ones. Fred wasn't allowed to go outside he had never even talked to a child his age before. He had never talked to anyone outside the people in this house. Who knew how he would react to other people when he went to Hogwarts. He would go to Hogwarts. There would be nothing that Rolf could do to stop her sending him. And with that thought, Maria finished the healing and levitated Fred to his bed to sleep off the magical pain that he had to go through.

****End of slightly morbid graphic scene****

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George-7 years

Everyone was in black clothes. Tears were streaming down George's pale face.  
Rachel Harris, the mother whom George had loved with all of his heart, had died from her disease of cancer six days ago. Her heart had just stopped while she was sleeping, and that's how the Harris family found her in the morning; motionless and peaceful, probably how Sleeping Beauty must have looked when she was under her curse. Except Rachel's curse would last forever. No kiss from Alex would wake her from the eternal sleep she was in. She was dead, and that's how the story would end.  
_Happy endings only happen in fairy-tales_, George thought solemnly as he stepped closer to Amalie.  
His sister put an arm around her brother who immediately turned to cry into Amalie's long black skirt. John, Amalie's boyfriend, allowed his partner to sob into his shoulder and cry silent tears that cascaded down Amalie's pretty face.  
No one had said anything for the duration of Rachel's funeral, and seemed like no one would, until the priest who was to read the eulogy stepped up and began to recite the sad words. Listening to the melancholy combination of sentences in the tribute to his mother, George closed his eyes and tried to imagine how Harry Potter must've felt when he found out his parents were killed by an evil wizard of the dark arts.  
George's father had a distressed and grievous look on his face. His hands were behind his back and tears were welling up in his eyes, when he blinked, they all came loose and plummeted down his face and onto the dirt-covered ground.  
George's hands fell by his sides and he felt a lump in his pants' pocket. Shoving a hand inside, he felt something that seemed to be in the shape of a rocket. He quickly pulled it out and gasped. A _firework_! How did it work its way into his pocket? George looked around and smiled evilly to himself; everyone looked so glum and depressed, they needed some cheering up. He went to talk to a couple of his less uptight relatives and organised for them to come out dancing when the fireworks go off. He pulled a matchbox out of his coat pocket and lit it, quickly bending down to the ground and shoving the firework into the earth. He put the match to the firework's string and waited for the bang.  
The rocket whistled into the air earning a gasp from some people below, then it emitted a large _BANG_ and exploded into a beautiful red and green pattern. The organised dancers came out doing an Irish jig. Some people screamed in surprise, but Amalie and Alex's heads immediately turned towards George who shrugged innocently.  
"What? You all looked so sad and upset!"


	6. Yet again older

**Hey! long time no see! I'm sure I told y'all to bug me if I took too long to post... anyway, still being done with HellZyea, who is now Audbuscus... same person. So on with the story! **

Fred – 9

Fred sat at a table in the corner of the bedroom that he was appointed, drawing a detailed picture of a memory that he had. It was a strange memory; there were two distressed red-heads in a very worn-down house. The memory Fred looked around and beside him was an exact copy of him. Privately Fred hoped that the memory was real and not a dream.

CRASH!

Fred jumped up and ran to his door way, whenever there is a crash, there is usually a large fight happening afterwards.

"No, Rolf!" Fred could hear his mother shouting, "You cannot take Fred! You promised me!"

Promise? What promise? Curiosity burned inside Fred, this promise was talked about a lot, especially between Rolf and his mother, and the more they mentioned it, the more he wanted to know.

"That promise has been terminated. You have disobeyed me too many times." Rolf shouted back.

"NO! I won't let you! I told you I'd leave before you'd get your hands on him!" Maria shrieked.

Thwack!

Fred winced at the noise, he really didn't like where this was going. He could hear Maria start to whimper at the pain that Rolf caused. Fred bit his lip and curled his hands into fists. He started to walk out of the room to help his mother when he ran straight into an invisible barrier. Damn his overprotective mother! He was trying to help her, and now he was trapped in a room unable to stop the pain that she had to go through. He groaned and bit his lip to try and prepare for anything that may be coming.

"Listen here, you worthless slug! I don't even know what I thinking when I married you! You need to get a life! But know this. If you leave, there will be nowhere that you can go. You will have nothing. Even the clothes you wear are mine. And that boy, he should have been gotten rid of straight away. He has no place here!" Rolf ranted at Maria.

Came here? What the hell does he mean? Fred knew that Rolf wasn't his father, because of that unfortunate moment when he was 4 that he had accidentally called him that. But Maria _was_ his mother right?

"Stop it Rolf! Stop it! I don't care about that! He is my son! I love him more than I ever loved you!" Maria broke into sobs here, "Rolf I don't know what happened to us, we were so in love before we moved here. What happened?"

"It was going to happen anyway. Lucius and I had been friends for a while. The only reason we moved here was because of the things that Malfoy and I would talk about. That's the reason I became a Death-eater. I had assumed you would join as well. Then we got that- that _child_," Fred could hear the scorn from the room he was in, which was upstairs and they were downstairs.

"He ruined it for us Maria. We were the best couple, and you chose _someone else's child_ over _me_. I was devastated. But I realise that was who you were. You were never the person I thought you were. You lied to me the entire time!" Rolf seemed close to tears.

Fred was shocked; Rolf never displayed any emotion except hatred towards the people in this house. This was very worrying. It meant more punishment would be dealt for making him express feelings.

"Mum!" Fred shouted, hoping that she could get away without any extra harm being dealt to her.

A large pause followed, and Fred could hear some struggling beneath him. Then he saw his mother running up the stairs.

"Mum!" Fred called frantically, "are you okay?"

Maria ran into the room and shut the door locking it. She sat on Fred's bed panting.

"I'll be fine dear. I just had a rather… Interesting conversation with Rolf." She said when she was breathing regularly.

"Yeah… I- I heard it… Mum?" Fred said, pleadingly, "What were some of those things you were talking about? You two all ways fight about some promise, and what did Rolf mean when he said you should have just gotten rid of me when I first arrived? I've always suspected that I'm adopted but, Mum, I have so many questions." He said staring imploringly into Maria's eyes.

Maria sighed and took Fred hands into hers.

"Fred, I am sorry but yes. You were adopted by us. Well me actually. You know the Weasleys down the street that always come over to talk to me? The Weasley's are your true family. Your last name is Weasley. And as for the promise, I promised to be like a slave to Rolf so that he wouldn't kill you. And that's how it has been ever since." Maria said tears beginning to pool in her eyes.

Fred was just in shock. Maria wasn't his mother? Well he always knew, but it was still a shock. But the bigger shock was that Rolf treated his mother the way he does because of _him_? No. No, no, no, no, no. It's not true.

"I- I'm sorry." He muttered.

"Don't be sorry Freddie. You saved me from living with Rolf without knowing what he was truly like. Thank you." Maria whispered pulling Fred into a hug. They stayed that way for most of the night and well into the morning.

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George – 9

"Dad?" George timidly said into the lounge room where Alex was resting.

A grunt replied. He had been this way since Amalie had left for a job that she had gotten over in America.

"C'mon Dad, we'll be fine." George said carefully.

Alex made no move to go over to George, but turned the other way so that his son wasn't in his peripheral vision. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes, hoping to go to sleep, but Alex knew it would never happen if George was still around.  
"Dad, you can't go on like this," George said softly. "Just because mum and Amalie are gone doesn't mean-"  
He was cut off by Alex getting up and walking to his bedroom, not glancing back at George for a second. The boy slumped onto the couch and grabbed the nearest fictional book he could see. _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ its title read clearly. How George loved this series of books! He sometimes dreamt that he was at Hogwarts learning about magic and potions, battling the evil wizards Voldemort and all of his Death-eaters. But, most of all, George yearned that on his eleventh birthday he would get a letter addressed to him from Albus Dumbledore, the wizard that George admired the most.  
All these thoughts were just silly fantasies, weren't they? They'd never actually happen...But nine-year-old boys could dream to their heart's content if they wanted. Nothing could stop that.

George sat and was soon at the end of the book. He felt that he was most like one of those Weasley twins, the brave, funny, Weasley twins that didn't have a care in the world. At least they didn't until the one that was called 'George' had his ear cut off. The poor Fred. And then Fred dies at the end. How was the George character supposed to live with that? Having your twin taken from you. George felt something in his gut when he thought of twins. Like he was missing something.

George got up off of the couch and walked to Alex's room, opening the door cautiously and peering inside. His father was lying on the bed, snoring loudly. George thought about walking away, but dismissed the idea when he saw one of his mother's bedside table drawers were open, showing multiple calendars from the past ten years. George slowly crept into the room and over to the table, opening its drawer softly and gently, hoping not to wake his sleeping father.  
When the drawer was fully open, the boy reached inside and picked up all of the calendars, rifling through them to find the year that he was born. George finally found the correct one and flipped to April. Two days after his birthday a peculiar note appeared. _We get given George_ it said in Rachel Harris's neat, simple handwriting.

W-What!? George knew there was something different about him but he didn't think he was adopted! George ran out of the room carrying the calendar with him. He pulled out the home phone and dialled up Amalie. Pleas pick up Amalie, please pick up was his silent mantra.

"Hello, Amalie Harris speaking."  
"Oh, thank goodness!" George said heaving a sigh of relief. "Amalie, am I adopted?"  
There was a long pause on the other end of the line before George's sister spoke again. "I-I...yes, George, I'm afraid you are. Although, neither Dad nor I know who your real mother is...only Mum did."  
George was hyperventilating. He tried to calm himself down but it wasn't working. "George, don't panic! I was adopted too! Mum isn't-wasn't-able to have children, that's why she adopted us!"

"B-but Amalie, how am I supposed to know who they are? And why wasn't she able to have kids? Why have they not told me this before? Information like this should be accompanied by the sky falling! Amalie, when did they tell you about it? And whe-" George said until he was cut off by Amalie's cry of 'George calm down!'

George stopped talking and sat down waiting. This was HUGE. Adopted? Yes he had different coloured hair, and looked different from the rest of his family, but it had never occurred that he might be adopted.

"George," Amalie's soothing voice came from out of the phone, "I have to go now. But I will come over soon. I promise, as soon as I get settled in. Now the only way that I know you will calm down is if you go and read a book. Go read George I'll be over in a day or two. I'm Sorry George, I have to go." Amalie's voice came out a little hazy from the phone.

George held the beeping phone in his hand. His mind wasn't really working.

He decided that reading would be a great idea. So he went and picked up the Harry Potter book and began to read again, although he wasn't really paying attention to it. George dropped the book and rubbed his eyes warily. If only he was like the Weasley's in the Harry Potter books. They never had to worry about being adopted.

Little did George know that he was on the verge of a big discovery that would unravel in two years time, no idea how close he was to the truth.


	7. 11 and closer to school

**I felt complied to post things for you. 'Cause I felt like it. So happy birthday! - if your birthday happens to be on this day. And if it is on the day that you read this, well. That makes us both awesome. **

Fred – 11

It was April first. Usually Fred would just sit in his room with Maria and spend time together for his birthday. But it was different today. Today was Fred's 11th birthday in the year that the Hogwarts letter should arrive. Fred and Maria were sitting in his room waiting patiently. On the outside they looked calm and collected, but inside Fred felt like he was going to explode. What if they thought that he wasn't good enough at magic to let him in the school? What if there was no-one there that would accept him? What if he made no friends? What if he does get in? How would they get all the supplies? What would Rolf do to his mother? Would Rolf even let him leave the house?

While Fred was asking himself a million questions, a little owl appeared at the window.

"Fred! Look! It's here!" Maria called gleefully, and she opened the window to let the owl fly in.

The owl lifted up its foot and Fred reached down to untie the letter. The owl hooted in response and flew out the window. Fred picked up the letter and proceeded to open it. Inside it read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Fred Weasley,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

The second page with requirements says:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WHICHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

sets of plain work robes (black)

plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)

by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi

by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection

by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

Fred looked up at his mother a pleased look entering his features.

"I can go Mum!" He finally said after a moment of awed silence.

"Yes of course you can, Fred! The only problem will be getting you your stuff. I have no clue to how we're going to get it." Maria sighed.

Fred looked at her, waiting. She always came up with great ideas when left to think long enough. But that time was interrupted by another owl tapping at the window. Fred looked at Maria looking for an explanation to the owl at the window. Maria just shrugged. Fred got up and opened the window and a owl overly laden with supplies hopped into the room. Fred quickly untied the supplies and the owl hooted in thanks then flew out the window. Maria picked up the attached letter and began to read:

"Dear Mrs Littleton,

I haven't heard from you in a while (A few years! Where have the good times gone?), but I did hear that you have a son heading off to Hogwarts this year. The things that I sent along are the old supplies (and a few new ones, I haven't seen you for a while and I wanted to give you some new things for all those birthdays I might have missed), that my own child took to school. He has no need for them as they are first year books, and he is in second year. I think that I covered most of the supplies that are in the book list. Hope to hear from you soon!

From your neighbour, Mrs Diggory."

Maria finished reading and had tears gathering in her eyes. Fred was utterly grateful for the timing of the gifts and for the Diggory's in general.

Fred started to go through the items that Mrs. Diggory had enclosed; the only things missing were a wand and a pet. He looked up gleefully and launched into his mother's arms.

"We can sneak out to get you the missing items. Oh Fred! I'm so happy for you!" Maria said, her words muffled as her head was resting against Fred's shoulder.

"I can't wait Mum." He said in return, this was quite possibly the best birthday he'd ever had.

George – 11

George yawned and sat up in his bed. He'd had a relatively good birthday, even though it was just him and his dad. Amalie couldn't make it. George blinked trying to remember the important something that was happening today. Giving up practically as soon as he remembered something was happening.

"Dad," George called out down the hallway to Alex, who was probably still sleeping in his room.

"George!" Alex called as he ran towards George from the direction of the lounge room. George jumped at the sudden appearance and felt a rush of fear. No one should ever have to experience seeing their Dad run at them with fear in his eyes.

"Dad what's going on?" George asked trying his hardest to keep calm.

"Some crazy old man turned up earlier, he said he wants to take you to some school… George he's like doing some voodoo-black magic!" Alex started to do some hyperventilating which was clearly not helping him at all as he continued to look in the direction of the lounge room.

George risked a look to the room in question and saw a rather old man with an exceptionally long beard, he wore robes, rather like George imagined were in the book Harry Potter.

"Ah, that's where he is. Hello, George." The old man said and George started at the name. How the hell did this guy know who he was?

Alex seemed to be thinking around the same lines and turned to face the threat on his child.

"Leave you evil spirit monger! You stalker! How do you even know us?" Alex shouted at the man, pointing an accusing finger in his direction.

The old man just put his hands up in a peaceful gesture.

"Why don't we head back to our lounge room and discuss a few things? I promise no harm will come to either of you." He said in a calming voice.

"Okay, we'll come to the lounge room. But only if you keep a minimum of three feet in front of us at all times." Alex negotiated carefully.

George rolled his eyes; silly over protective father figures if he was going to hurt us he probably would have done it already.

The group made their way to the lounge room, with the old man in front, keeping three feet in front of George and Alex. Once the trio entered the room, George pulled Alex over to the two-seater couch, while the old man meandered over to the only other seat in the room. Alex watched the old man cautiously, still suspecting him of strange voodoo, while George watched him with his child-like curiosity. The old man stared at the both of them drawing out the confusion and bewilderment in his presence. He cleared his throat, making George and Alex stare at him with a renewed vigour.

"I suppose that you are wondering why I am here and who I am," the man said slowly and in a mysterious manner.

"No kidding," Alex mumbled under his breath.

"Well," the man said either having not heard Alex or choosing to ignore him, "let me introduce myself. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry,"

George felt his jaw drop.

"Y-you mean like the book?" he asked in awe and only half believing in what he was hearing.

"A book you say?" Dumbledore asked confusion and amusement showing in his voice.

George nodded and pulled out the Harry Potter books. He walked over to Dumbledore and handed him the first book in the series.

Dumbledore flicked through the book, his emotions varying from amusement, worry and anxiety.

"Where did you get this, dear boy?" Dumbledore asked in a quiet voice.

"From a bookstore sir. It's a pretty popular book." George replied, regaining some of his courage back after the shock of seeing a book character suddenly become real.

"I need to discuss this with you at a later time. Now George," Dumbledore said placing the book down and turning his full attention to him, "You seem to know Hogwarts from this text. Therefore you would also know about Witches and Wizards. I wish to enrol you at Hogwarts and teach you magic there."

George, having only just regained his bearings, became flummoxed.

"I- you- I- … what?" George stammered, staring at Dumbledore like he'd grown a second head.

Dumbledore chuckled at the shock that was evident around George.

"You are a Wizard, George. Actually you are a Weasley." Dumbledore said in an off-hand matter.

George's eyes went big, his breathing shallowed and he felt light headed. He was a Weasley. The nice family that practically adopted Harry Potter, the family that lost a twin in the final battle, the family that was together through thick and thin. The information was too much for George and he passed out.

"Ahh! George!" Alex leapt up and ran to his adopted son, hiding him from Dumbledore.

"You- you stay away from him!" Alex called as he turned to face Dumbledore, "I don't know what you did to him, you crazy Voodoo man, but I won't stand for it!" Alex shouted and picked up a lamp that was sitting in the corner of the room, charging at Dumbledore.

"I am sorry. _Obliviate_." Dumbledore said, waving his wand at Alex discreetly, Alex stopped running and looked around confused, before turning to Dumbledore and extending his hand.

"Uh, hello. I'm Alex. Do you know what happened here?" he said, giving Dumbledore a hopeful look.

"Yes I do dear man. I was here giving your son the chance to attend a prestigious boarding school in Scotland. Please give this to him when he wakes up, it will explain everything to him. Thank you for your time." Dumbledore said as he stood and left the house, handing Alex an envelope addressed to 'George Weasley'.

'_What a strange man,'_ Alex thought as he watched the man walk down the street and disappear around the corner.


	8. Shopping

**All manners of greetings to you, as I am compelled to talk to you all again. Still being done with my writing buddy. **

**And alas, disclaimers are on the first chapter, I'm fairly sure I said that somewhere (unless it slipped my mind) so yeah… Popcorn any one?**

They'll be 11 until I say any different.

George stuck with Albus Dumbledore all the while they walked through London and over to a building titled 'The Leaky Cauldron'.

"What's in here, sir?" the eleven-year-old boy asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"This is the gate way to Diagon Alley. It was in that book of yours." Dumbledore responded nodding at the people he knew as they went through the musty old worn building.

George nodded as if he understood, but in reality he was still astounded that one of his favourite books was pulling him into it as if he were a part of the story. What if he really was one of the Weasley twins? _That would be awesome_, he thought with a grin. Dumbledore guided them to a brick wall before tapping a few bricks with what looked like a stick. _Holy cow, it's a real wand!_ George's jaw dropped at the sight of the magical object, but it dropped even further when the brick wall suddenly broke away to reveal a large arch that leaded onto a street.

George gasped as he looked around the Alley in awe.

Dumbledore chuckled and led the astonished boy by the elbow to the nearest store that they needed to buy things from. The store just happened to be Flourish and Blotts.

As the two walked into the store, George spied another boy with his father walking around and referring to a list of objects to collect. George left Dumbledore's side and attempted to get the boy's attention.  
"Um, hi," he started nervously when the boy looked up at him. "Are you going to Hogwarts?"

The boy nodded and smiled before holding out a hand in a friendly gesture. "Yeah, I'm Lee. Lee Jordan."

George took Lee's hand and shook it. "George. I'm George Har- I mean, George Weasley."

Lee tilted his head making his dreadlocks fall to the side comically.

"Oh, you're one of them then? It's got to be annoying to have so many siblings and not really know any of the annoying buggers." Lee commented still looking at the world sideways.

"Yeah... Um, do you know how many of us there are? I don't know any of them. I was raised muggle." George said awkwardly.

"Oh, yeah, mate. I think that there are about six or seven of you all. at least that's what my... At least that's what I've heard." Lee answered, looking slightly sadder for some reason unknown to George.

But not that he was worrying about that now. He had at least five siblings according to Lee.

"Wow," George replied to Lee with a weak smile. "That's a lot of kids...Do you know who my parents are? I've never met them either."

"I only know them as Mrs Weasley and Mr Weasley. Sorry." Lee answered sheepishly.

The two stood in an awkward silence until Lee's father called for him.

"Bye, mate!" Lee said to George before running to his father. "See you at school!"

"Bye..." George muttered as Professor Dumbledore appeared by his side.

"Mr Weasley, I have gathered the items that you need from this particular shop. Shall we continue on?" Dumbledore said as he approached, leading the way out of the shop.

"Um, yeah, I guess," George replied, walking out of the shop with Dumbledore. He still couldn't get over the fact that he was a _Weasley_. The family that George had thought only existed in a series of books! But they were _real_.

George shook his head to rid the thoughts and followed Dumbledore to an odd looking shop that had the name Ollivanders written as the name of it.

When the two entered the shop, George's jaw dropped. The walls were covered in thousands of wands. _Just_ like the ones that Harry Potter used. An old man walked over to where Dumbledore and George were standing and smiled toothily. "Hello, young fellow! Professor Dumbledore, it's a pleasure to have you in my shop. To what do I owe this visit?"

"Just a wand for Mr Weasley today, please, Mr Ollivander." Dumbledore answered for the two of them.

Ollivander looked at George with a scrutinizing gaze.

"A Weasley is it? Hmm." Ollivander muttered as he rushed off to some part of the store that George couldn't see.

"Why'd he look at me like that?" George asked, a little scared of Mr Ollivander.

"Mr Ollivander is the best at what he does. He prides himself on getting the right wand for everybody that comes through his door. He looks at everyone like that." Dumbledore replied sitting down at a seat that was located in the corner of the room.

"Oh," George said, looking to where Mr Ollivander disappeared to. The man came bustling over to him with a wand in his hand.

"Try holding onto this and tell me if it feels right."

"How will I know-?"

"It just feels right. You'll know when it happens."

"Oh... kay..." George said as he reached for the wand.

The wand, once in contact with George's hand sparked dangerously and Ollivander leapt forward and took it from George muttering things under his breath.

George looked shocked at the reaction the wand gave when he touched it. Ollivander returned with yet another wand in his hand. "Now do the same thing as last time."

George nodded, reaching out tentatively for the wand.

Nothing drastic happened, so George looked to Ollivander for guidance.

"Flick it. See what happens." He encouraged.

George looked at him skeptically but did as he asked, and the wand sent strange white sparks towards a pot lying on a shelf.

The old man tutted and disappeared once more before returning with yet another wand. "Weasleys...this wand should do the trick. Just hold it like the other times and it _should_ work."

George nodded and reached for the wand. It was different to the others it seemed... right.

"It feels... better. Better than the other ones. Why is that?" George asked the older men in the room, looking between them both.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Every wand has its own...special person, to put it in a simple way."

Ollivander nodded and smiled a haggard and toothy smile.

"The wand chooses you, you don't choose it." He said, continuing to smile.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. Just like in Har-" George started but found that his voice had stopped working. Ollivander was looking at him confused and Dumbledore was looking around warily. George looked at Dumbledore suspiciously, but shrugged at the store owner instead, getting out money to pay for his wand.

Ollivander shrugged silently and smiled gratefully at the young boy. "Thank you, Mister Weasley. Have a good time at Hogwarts, and try not to get in trouble. Albus keep an eye on him-Weasleys' have always been troublemakers..."

Dumbledore chuckled and collected up George and the wand before leaving the shop and bidding Ollivander farewell.

"So, where to now Mr Dumbledore, sir?" George said, a little over enthusiastically.

"We do not have the money to buy you a pet, so I do believe that we are done." Dumbledore replied.

George nodded and continued on back towards the Leaky Cauldron, staying close to Dumbledore while they walked through the alley. "Mr Dumbledore?"

"Yes, child."

"When and how will I get to Hogwarts? My dad won't exactly love the fact of driving me to King's Cross and drop me off there without knowing where I'm going."

"I have asked for a set of wizarding families to escort you from the station. You will be fine. Many surprises await you." Dumbledore answered casually making George wonder what could be a bigger surprise than being a Wizard?


	9. And they meet!

**UPDATES! WOO! Thank you all for your reviews by the way, they're brilliant. Speaking of brilliant, you have LoonyLoopyLuna6 to thank for this update. **

Lee walked to Platform 9 3/4, his dad accompanying him to the train happily.

Lee looked around for his newest friend, the one that he had met at Diagon Alley, George. He spotted a familiar shock of red hair and walked casually over to him.

"Hey George." He grinned at him.

The boy turned around with a confused look on his face. "George? I'm Fred. Fred Littleton. Um, sorry, but who's George?"

Lee looked at the "Fred" confused. He looked exactly the same as George did! Lee rolled his eyes. Obviously George was pulling one over him.

"Ha ha, George. What happened to being a Weasley? Isn't that how you introduced yourself before?" He asked slightly sarcastic.

Lee turned and almost yelped in surprise when someone tapped him on the back. "Um, hi Lee." George Weasley said with a smile.

Lee froze. Holy crap - George had a clone.

"George?" Lee asked firmly.

"Yeah of course, who else would I be?" The George that had just tapped him on the back said.

"Uhh... How about Fred?" Lee replied still utterly confused. It seemed the two clones hadn't seen each other. Yet.

"Um, yeah, I'm-" Fred suddenly froze in shock when he saw George. George had the same horrified look on his face. "I-You-Star Wars is real? Why do I have a bloody clone?" He gripped his red hair in a harassed manner.

_My thoughts exactly_, Lee thought while staring unblinkingly at the two red-heads.

George seemed to remember something and he stepped forward.

"Are you Fred Gideon? You'd be a Weasley but you would have been adopted." He said cautiously.

Lee continued to look between the two confused like. Blimey this was going to be interesting.

Fred looked at his so-called 'clone', a look of incredulity plastered on his face. "H-how do you… how does he… why do you k-know my middle name?"

"So you _are_ Fred Weasley!" George cried triumphantly, flinging his fist into the air making both Fred and Lee jump back in surprise. George slowly lowered his raised hand. "But that means I must be your brother..."

"W-what!?" Fred spluttered incredulously.

_Interesting turn of events..._ Le thought.

"But that would make you... You're twins?" He muttered saying his thoughts out loud.

"I'm a _twin?!_" Fred practically had a seizure.

George on the other hand was ecstatic. He almost tackled Fred to the ground with a hug. "YES! I _finally_ have a brother! And he's a Weasley, too! This is the best day of my life!" He released his twin and silently did a small dance.

"You don't get out much, do you?" Lee asked sarcastically.

Fred seemed petrified, and flinched away from the over-enthusiasticness that was George.

"You okay there Fred?" Lee asked reaching down and lending Fred a hand so that he could get up.

"Yeah Freddie, I didn't hurt you did I?" George asked as he got over his impromptu happy dance.

"N-no, I... I'm fine. Shall we board the train?"

Fred said starting off anxious but ending rather perkily.

"I think we should," George replied happily, linking his arms with Lee and Fred. "Let's go."

The boy basically dragged them onto the train, an insanely happy smile on his face.

_Well, he's sure happy..._Lee thought while struggling to escape from George's firm arm interlock.

George on the other hand, his thoughts were going way too fast for him to even comprehend what they were.

Crap, crap, crap... Bloody hell!

The books were true, I'm a twin, our best friend is... Well, _will_ be Lee Jordan… That means that Harry Potter probably exists, that we have Ron and Ginny still to attend school and go through all that crap that they go through...

George's thoughts kept going a mile a minute, and all the while he kept up his perky over enthusiastic cover.

"C'mon you two! There'll be no compartments left!" He called over his shoulder to his _twin_ and his _fictional_ best friend.

-To the Sorting! -

George and Fred waited in line, edgy about the Sorting that awaited them like sharks waiting for prey.

"What house d'you think it'll put us in?" Fred asked, never taking his eyes from the witches' hat being placed on all the First Years' heads.

George shrugged. "I dunno," he replied, looking at his twin with semi-eager blue eyes. "I just hope it's not Slytherin."

Fred looked at his brother and blinked. "What?"

"Slytherin sucks."

"But you said you were raised by muggles! Lee and I only just told you what the houses were, how would you know that Slytherin sucks?" Fred whispered frantically.

George realized his mistake too late. He froze and started to look around nervously. "Well, um..."

"Fredrick Weasley!"

Fred grimaced at the use of his full name, and sent George a look that clearly said that they would be discussing things later. He headed his way to the front and waited for the old lady to put the hat on his head.

Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on Fred's head gently, and stepped back to allow the hat to do its work. Fred, on the other hand, slipped into darkness as the hat unravelled its thoughts to Fred without keeping anything out.

_Ahh, another Weasley. You're all different... What to choose, what to choose... You'd do so well in all the houses, your cunning would flourish in Slytherin, your inventiveness and ingenuity would boom in Ravenclaw, you love everyone you know, which is the main trait of a Hufflepuff, the only exception being your adoptive father, and you have the courage of a Gryffindor. What to do with you...? _The hat said in his mind.

_Um, Mr Hat I'd like it if you didn't put me in Slytherin...my brother, George, he wouldn't like it that much if you did..._ Fred felt quite stupid for talking to a hat, but he knew it would be worth it if the Sorting Hat did as he asked.

_I_ _haven't sorted one called George... Oh you mean that red head standing over there? I shall take your hopes into consideration... I'm down to two now, So Ravenclaw or Gryffindor...?_

_Um, Gryffindor?_Fred thought to the hat in a questioning tone. He wouldn't forgive himself if the hat placed him in Ravenclaw. His mother told him that he was always smart, but he couldn't stand being called names like 'smarty pants' or 'nerd' by other people. Being bullied by Rolf was bad enough...

_Bullied? Gryffindors are brave they can take a little bullying. Maybe Ravenclaw would suit you better? Lot of room to expand the brains__you've got here._

_No!_ Fred thought frantically. _I mean, my mum said I was smart, but, I don't know...I wonder if she's getting hurt by Rolf right now...I always helped her when he hurt her, usually ending with me getting hurt, but now...I don't know if she'll last until Christmas..._

_Hmm... I think I've made up my mind. You'll do great in-_"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted.

Fred sighed in relief as the Hat was taken off of his head and he rushed to the Gryffindor table where people were cheering loudly.

"Weasley, George!" McGonagall said firmly.

George walked to the small stool and waited almost keenly as the Sorting Hat was nestled on his head.

_Ahh! The twin! You have secrets, you do. More secrets than most people ever will, maybe even more than your twin._

_W-what? I don't have secrets!_ George thought to the sudden voice that appeared in his head. _At least I don't think I do...Fred has secrets?_

_Oh! The plot thickens! You will trust each other soon enough, you two have been prophesied to be the best of friends. The only place for you with in this school is by your brother. There are hardly and personality differences and they are because of the different upbringings._

_So I'll be in Gryffindor?_ George thought-asked before suddenly straightening. _What happened to Fred when he was a kid? How was he brought up?_

_You'll need to strengthen the bond between you_. "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat called signifying the end of the conversation.

George was slightly dumbfounded as he walked to the Gryffindor table and sat next to his twin. "What's wrong?" Fred asked anxiously. "Did something go wrong?"

"Nothing went wrong," George replied with a fake smile. "I'm just surprised that the hat put me in Gryffindor!"

"But why?"

"It's funny, because my friends at 'Muggle School' always joked that I had the brains of a slimy, lying snake." His smile faltered for a second as he remembered his friends from Primary School.

"George?" A concerned sounding Fred called, but George had slipped off into his own world. A world that consisted mostly of memories.


	10. George's memory thing

**So, new update! Couldn't leave you lot with the story the way it was, that would be slightly cruel of me. Thanks to the one that reminded me that I left it on an almost cliffy! Still co-written - this is not likely to change, so I'll stop mentioning it. Audbuscus and I write this - so that one sentence counts for all future chapters unless I say different. **

_In George's memory world thing…_

_"Ah! HARRIS!"_

_George smirked as his maths teacher, Mrs Lorry, shrieked out with a shrill and repulsive voice. He and his friends tried to stifle laughs while looking after the teacher that was now covered with vanilla custard._

_"George, that has to be the best trick you've thought of yet!" John, George's best friend whispered with a grin._

_"Come off it, John!_ All _my ideas are the_ _best!" George whispered back, causing his friend to wack him on the bicep as the school bell rang. _

_"George and John! I wish to speak with you!" The teacher called over the general noisiness of the students._

_John and George exchanged looks before coming out of their hiding place in the bushes outside their classroom. The children in the area stopped to look at them and silence themselves as Mrs Lorry, or 'Sagface', as she was most commonly referred, stared at the two boys with a penetrating glare._

_"Yes Mrs?" the two asked simultaneously. _

_"What is the meaning of this?" she asked them fingering some of the custard. _

_"Fun Mrs." they answered again, both bordering on cocky._

_"Fun?" Sagface asked a subtly furious tone in her voice. "You call _this _fun?"_

_"Yes, Mrs," George replied, an innocent and sweet, yet fake, smile on his freckled face. _

_John spoke up: "Haven't you heard of it?"_

_The Sagface scowled at the two. _

_"You'll never see the outside of my class room again. Detention! Both of you!" _

_The two boys groaned. _

_They started trudging behind the teacher, humming a sad dirge, when suddenly, _

_"JOHN! Look out!" _

_John looked to his left to find a soccer ball whack into his forehead. A girl, the kicker of the ball, came running over to them, apologies tumbling out of her mouth. _

_"Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" she asked with a concerned voice._

_John stumbled into George muttering and seemingly not comprehending anything that was happening around him. Sagface looked especially scared. _

_"Harris! Take your friend, and follow me! It might mean his life, boy!" she called to George and started off at a surprisingly fast pace._

_His life? George hurriedly grabbed John and followed Sagface, the children around them murmuring words that George couldn't hear. His thoughts were only focused on his best friend whom was shaking and trembling in his arms as they stalked towards the nurse's office._

_The nurse looked up at the sudden appearance of people in her office, but when she saw who it was she hurried over and ordered George in a no-nonsense tone to lay John gently on one of the plastic like beds._

_George did as he was asked before sitting down in a chair, finally deciding that he couldn't sit still, so he started to pace around the room on the verge of a nervous breakdown._

_"Mr Harris?" the nurse asked poking her head in through the door way. _

_"Yes?" George answered almost immediately. _

_"Did you know that the soccer ball... It hit his temple. The force behind the soccer ball, it's…well, it was enough to kill him. He only has a few minutes left before his brain swells too much. The ambulance won't get here in time. Would you like to spend his last minutes together?" the nurse said slowly and as confidently as she could manage knowing that a student was dying in the next room_.

_George choked back a sob. "He's-d-dying?"_

_The nurse hung her head, affirming George's question. He suddenly raced into the next room and was by John's side in a trice, holding his hand that grew colder and colder by the second. _

_"Don't leave me, John..." _

_"G-George...?" a weak voice muttered._

_"John!" George exclaimed and hugged his best friend awkwardly._

_"I-it hurts-s G-George," John stammered as his life started to drain away._

_"Don't worry...it'll be alright, John..." George sobbed. _

_His best friend was dying._

"George!" Fred shouted in his ear.

"Ahh!" George recoiled. "What was that for?"

"You blacked out..." Fred said a tone of worry in his voice.

"No! I didn-" George trailed off at Fred and Lees worried expressions. George tilted his head confused. "I did?"

"Yeah, you were trembling as well, looked like you were... on the verge of… well, tears." Fred said worriedly.

"I was?" George asked.

His sudden flashback came back to him, making him shut his eyes and look down in sadness. "Oh, yeah... Uhh, don't worry about it. I was just remembering... Yeah."

"You were remembering 'yeah'? No come on you got to tell us mate, we dragged you out of the hall and into our new dorms. Look, see? New location. You were really out of it." Lee amended.

"Oh," George said, looking around the room with newfound interest. "Thanks, but, I don't really feel comfortable saying it up front..."

"No-one's here but us, George. You can trust us, right? We're all friends. We won't tell anyone." Lee probed.

Fred was sitting in a far corner of the room, looking uncomfortable. George again wondered what kinds of secrets he held.

"Uh–" George looked around the dorm, finally settling his gaze on a pillow- "You know, I'm feeling really tired, so I'm gonna go to bed...night!" He rushed to get beneath the covers and turn away from Fred and Lee. The two still up glanced at each other warily.

Fred shrugged non-committedly; after all, everyone has secrets. You'd be an idiot if you told them to anyone you met.

He crawled under the sheets of his own bed and after a long, and quite possibly the best day he'd had ever, he fell asleep.


	11. Siblings

**Hello you lot! How are we all? Oh, that's (not) good, considering how you actually are. To the story. **

George woke from his sleep earlier than his other roommates and left quietly, not wishing to be a part of the interrogation that would ensue if he waited for them. He headed down to the common room, attempting to clear his mind of thoughts.

Once he was in the room, he found two teenagers, both with red hair. Funnily enough, they looked like him in some ways. He walked over to them, trying to look nonchalant."Um, hi... I'm George Weasley..."

The two turned to him and they looked at him in shock.

George shuffled awkwardly.

"I'm, uhh, sorry. Am I interrupting something? Oh, I must be. I'll just... Yeah..." he said turning to leave.

"Um, wait," the elder one said to George, holding out his hand. "I'm Charlie."

George's head snapped up and towards the red head.

"Charlie Weasley?" he asked in a quiet voice, also taking the proffered hand.

"I don't know how you knew, but yeah," Charlie replied with a smile. "I'm Charlie and that's Percy." He pointed his other hand towards the other redhead with glasses. "Pleasure to meet you...well, _brother_, I guess now."

"Uhh, I guess we are... You'll meet Fred when he wakes up probably- he's my twin." George said calmly, casually looking towards the dorms, just as Fred and Lee were walking down them. "Speaking of which, I'm hungry. I'll catch you later." George said in a rush.

"George, mate!" Lee said with a large wave directed at the small clan of Weasleys. "More clones? Except older and nerdier? Like your style, George!"

George froze in his escaping and spun pasting a large smile on his face.

"Yeah, I broke the machine." he smirked at him.

Lee laughed while Fred came forward to meet the new boys. "I'm-"

"Fred, right?" Charlie asked. "Oh, yeah, I can read minds, by the way."

Fred's face merged into a comical confused look, before catching George's eye. He broke into a smile instead.

"George told you didn't he?" he asked.

Charlie gasped mock-surprise on his face. "Oh, no! You found out my secret!"

George rolled his eyes and continued to edge out of the room.

"Wasn't that hard to figure out…" Fred commented quietly.

Percy rolled his eyes as well and returned to his book, but not before noticing his smaller brother trying to escape the room. "Going somewhere?" he asked without looking up.

"Umm... breakfast? Yes. Breakfast." George replied once he got over his deer-caught-in-headlights look.

Percy finally looked up and stood."I think I might join you, actually," he said with a half-smile. "Breakfast sounds exceptional."

"Sure thing, Percy. We'd better hurry before all the good food's gone." George said forcing a smile. He rushed out of the room not checking to see if Percy was following him.

Percy followed George, not in the slightest offended that his brother didn't bother to see if he was going with him. He wasn't that much of a likable figure, anyway.

Fred watched the two leave. What was wrong with George? It was a strange thing to think, as it invoked strong protective feelings within him, feelings that were stronger than his ones to protect Maria.

"So how are you, Charlie?" he asked, turning to face him, shooing those kind of thoughts from his mind.

"Not bad if you ignore the fact that Percy just kicked my butt in a game of chess," Charlie replied with a fake pout.

Fred nodded and tilted his head slightly.

"I've never played before. Can you teach me?" he asked, planning to quiz Charlie on a few things he didn't understand, like why they had to be adopted in the first place.

Charlie shrugged and smiled. "Sure!" He conjured a chess board and pieces, placing them on the table and motioning for Fred to sit down.

"Y'wanna watch Lee?" Fred asked his new friend, turning to him slightly.

"Nah. I think breakfast was a good idea. I'll catch you later!" Lee replied and headed out.

Fred nodded unnecessarily, and started listening intently to Charlie's teaching.

-To George! -

Percy and George sat down at the Gryffindor table, the latter beginning to pile his plate with food. Lee soon came to join them.

"Well, you're hungry," he said, watching George stuff his face

"Why do you think I woke up early?" George replied in-between bites of food.

Percy shook his head slightly amused.

"I don't think that was the correct reason George," Percy muttered to George so as to not be heard by Lee.

George paused, but resumed chewing his food after a few moments. "What do you mean by that?" George asked with equal subtlety.

"You looked positively hurried when you came down from the dorms this morning. Like you were trying to get away from someone, and when Fred and your friend here, when they came down you practically tried to run from the room. I want to know why." Percy murmured, skilfully covering the words from outsiders.

George looked away from Percy. Should he tell his brother? Maybe he could...

"Um, I don't know if I should tell you..." he said, returning his gaze back towards Percy.

"It'll stay between us, George. I've no-one to tell. It always helps to have someone that knows what you're going through." Percy muttered taking a bite of his food.

George nodded and looked down at his plate. "It's just that… I don't want to get close to anyone. I don't _deserve_ to have friends. Throughout my life, everyone I've loved has died or just left...My mum died of cancer...My sister moved to America...my dad is in a constant state of grief...My best friend died when I was nine...You get the picture..."

Percy looked to George with a concerned look on his features.

"You... What? George, that's... I don't even know what to say... Are... Are you okay, do you want a hug or something?" Percy eventually broke free of his shock.

"Not now," George said, looking at Percy and gesturing to the people around them. "But maybe later once there aren't so many people around. But thanks for caring." He smiled weakly.

"Why wouldn't I care? Contrary to the popular belief, I'm not heartless." Percy replied taking a slightly confused tone.

"Not many people do anymore," George replied.

Percy looked even more concerned than he did before.

"If you keep saying things like that I'll be forced to hug you in public. You met Fred yesterday right? I saw in the way he looked at you this morning that he was worried about you." he said, passionately.

"Really?" George asked a look of hope on his face.

"Follow me. Lee it was a pleasure to meet you but I need to show George something important." Percy said taking George by the fore arm and dragging him out of the Hall.

George followed, not making a sound while Percy led him away from the sweet scent of food. "What are you showing me?" he asked a confused expression on his freckled face.

"The inside of a hug." Percy replied simply, "I assumed you didn't want it to be too public."

George smiled before suddenly turning the tables and wrapping his bigger brother in a hug. "Thanks for being my brother."

"It's good that you accept that so easily," Percy said once he settled into the hug slightly, seeming to have been slightly shocked at the sudden presence of George. "It took me the better part of a year to accept Charlie and Bill... You haven't met Bill yet, he's our oldest brother."

"Where is Bill?" George asked, looking up at Percy for guidance. _How many siblings did he still need to meet? Two now right? The Harry Potter books seemed pretty correct in most of its aspects so far._

"Bill is always in a different place every time I get a letter from him. I think that he's in Romania right now, said he was looking into something for Charlie." Percy answered releasing George from his suffocating hug and started walking slowly motioning for George to follow.

George did as Percy gestured and followed him. "Romania, huh?" he asked. "Cool place to be with all the werewolves and vampires and stuff."

"Actually, between you and me, I think that Charlie's looking into a job with Dragons…And I think that there's a Dragon reserve there. Maybe that's what Bill's looking into..." Percy trailed off thinking over his new theory, staring into the space directly in front of him, slowly reducing his pace.

George shrugged and continued following his brother, accommodating to his new pace, so as to stay next to him. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Oh, sorry." Percy said sheepishly, walking at a more comfortable speed, "Just wave a hand in front of my face if I ever zone out like that. I don't usually walk with people. I prefer my own company, so I can zone out and no-one would care. Probably because I was raised as an only child, now that I think about it,"

George smiled. "I was raised with one sister. Her name was- sorry, _is_ Amalie, but she moved to America a few years ago."

"Is this the one you mentioned earlier? So she'd be older than most of us then?" Percy asked curiously.

"Yeah, she's about twenty-one," George replied after a moment of calculating.

"Yep, she's older than all us Weasley siblings. Bill's only eighteen. So you didn't have any other siblings?" Percy curiously probed.

_'Now was a good a time as any to find out about each other.'_George thought.

"No," George replied with a weak smile. "Only me and dad now, but I doubt he's going to take me back after this year of Hogwarts."

"Just you and your Dad is it? What happened to your mother? I think I remember you mentioning her earlier?" Percy asked seemingly worried for George's adoptive mother.

George looked down at the floor, suddenly interested in his shoe. "She died of cancer..."

"She what? What's cancer? Is that a muggle disease? I've never heard of it. I'm sorry." Percy replied awkwardly.

_Duh, he grew up as a wizard!_ George mentally berated himself.

"Um, yeah," George said, wanting to hit himself in the face for being so stupid.

"Uhm, sorry for bringing it up. I'll shut my face now. Sorry." Percy replied hastily having seen the saddened look on George's face, and he sealed his lips together with his wand to prove his point.

George laughed. "No, you don't have to do that. It's just something that happened, and I can't change it."

Percy turned and gave him a skeptical look. He made a series of mumbling noises and looked at George expectantly.

"Sorry?" George asked politely. "I couldn't hear you..."

Percy looked confused and blinked a couple of times, rather owlishly. His eyes lit up after a while and tapped his lips with his wand.

"Ahh, sorry about that. I forget things sometimes. I said, are you sure? I don't want to hurt your feelings accidentally."

"No, it's fine," George reassured, waving his hand nonchalantly. "I don't mind."

"So anything else I should know, so I'm not so blunt if it ever comes up in a conversation?" Percy asked slightly exasperated.

George thought for a moment. "Not really..."

"Oh good. That's good. I shouldn't need to worry then." Percy replied.

"No, not really," George said with a smile.


	12. Fred and Charlie

-To Fred and Charlie-

"So now you know the basics of the game, do you want to play against me?" Charlie implored.

"You're on," Fred replied with a smile. This chess game seemed very interesting to him; he couldn't wait to play with his brother,

"So what was with George this morning?" Charlie asked as he moved skilfully around the chess board.

"I actually don't know," Fred replied, thinking about his next move before making it. "He didn't tell me or Lee about anything a few nights ago and he's been acting really weird around me."

"Maybe Perce can talk to him about it." Charlie said directing another chess piece to where he wanted it to go. "So what about you? How are you handling Hogwarts?"

"Good, very good, especially since I haven't been to a lesson yet," Fred replied, his face lighting up when he captured one of Charlie's pieces.

"That's a good thing; the classes just get harder as the years go on. But, I remember the first time I laid eyes on this beauty of a castle. Best day ever. After all, I was raised muggle. No wizarding families were available for me." Charlie said planning an attack strategy.

"Oh," Fred said, watching Charlie's move before countering it with his own. "My family was a wizarding one."

"Really? That means you'd probably know more magic than most of the muggle-borns. Isn't George from a muggle family? You'll probably need to help him get some of the spells at first." Charlie responded.

"Yeah, George is from a muggle family," Fred replied. "And that offer seems good."

"It will be for him. So how's your wizarding family? Treating you well?" Charlie asked killing of one of Fred's knights.

Fred froze his counterattack. "Um, yeah, they're fine." He finally moved his piece.

"I saw that hesitation there, Fred." Charlie said, stopping the game and looking at Fred intently. "Is something happening at your house? In your home?"

"No! N-nothing!" Fred replied, trying to look innocent as possible.

"Fred," Charlie said in a warning tone. "You can tell me, y'know. I promise that I won't tell anyone without your consent." He continued placing a hand in a sign of promise.

Fred sighed. Charlie wasn't going to like what he was about to say. "My stepfather sort of...beats me and my mother..."

"What?" Charlie spat. "He 'sort of' beats you? What kind of a parent is he? I can promise you this Fred; you shouldn't need to ever go there again. You need to tell someone about this!"

"But..." Fred began. He stopped and trailed off when realization dawned on him and he understood that arguing with Charlie wouldn't do anything. "Who do I tell, though?"

"Professors' Dumbledore and McGonagall - You need and adult on this! You should probably tell your friends about this too. They could help you." Charlie said firmly, but not unkindly.

Fred nodded and looked at Charlie, smiling weakly. He hesitated for a brief moment before hugging him tightly.

"If you ever need anything, come find me okay? I won't even care if you snot on me. I want to be here for you." Charlie said as he hugged his brother closely.

Fred smiled. It felt good to have somebody you could rely on.

"So what does he do exactly? I know it's none of my business, but I want to know how you survived and when he became offensive." Charlie asked leaning back to see Fred's face.

"He tried to hurt me when I was f-five and then...my mother protected me by saying that if Rolf were to hurt anyone, it would be h-her..." Fred felt tears sting his eyes, but he forced them back.

Charlie tugged him closer. "It's alright to cry, Fred. He won't touch you again. Maybe you and your mother can be relocated, and live somewhere away from him."

"Maybe...but I d-doubt it..." Fred replied, letting the tears fall down his cheeks. "Rolf would just find us a-again...I barely got out of the hou-house alive to come to Hogwarts..."

"You... What?!" Charlie looked at him extremely worried."Fred, why haven't you told anyone this? Did your mother escape or did she go back?" Charlie demanded quietly.

"I don't know..." he whispered quietly

"Oh, Fred. That's not a good thing." Charlie commented after a brief tense moment, "I don't want to worry you, but she might be in really big trouble."

"I know that!" Fred said taking a ragged breath. "She c-could be de-dead right now..."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up." Charlie murmured, letting silence fall between them.

"It's fine, really," Fred sniffled. He smiled weakly at Charlie. "She's in a good place if she has pa-passed."

Before Charlie replied, the portrait to the commons opened up, revealing the two other Weasley siblings.

Fred smiled when he saw George again, but it disappeared as quickly as  
it came when he saw the look on his twin's face. "George, what's  
wrong?" Fred asked a note of concern in his voice. "Are you alright?"

George smiled wanly, "I could ask you the same. You look worse than I do right now."

Fred shrugged and looked at the floor. "It's nothing."

"Same here. It's nothing." George replied shrugging and looking at Fred apprehensively.

Percy rolled his eyes and looked between the two brothers before moving his eyes to Charlie. _Is Fred really alright?_ Percy asked with his eyes. _He looks slightly spooked and troubled._

Charlie subtly shook his head watching George from around Fred. _'Later?'_ he mouthed to Percy, while the twins were staring each other down.

Percy nodded and put a hand on George's shoulder, making his little brother look up at him with big blue eyes.

"Classes should start soon," Percy said with a small smile. "You and Fred might want to go and get ready. Hopefully Charlie and I will see you at lunch."

George nodded and walked over to Fred. He tugged slightly on Fred's sleeve, dragging him up to their dorm, leaving Charlie and Percy alone.

Percy strode over to Charlie and raised an eyebrow. "George isn't doing that good either, I'm afraid to say. They really are twins..."

Charlie nodded, staring up after the twins.

"The things he told me... I wish he would tell some adults about it. Hell, I wish I could tell you about it..." he said sighing and holding his head in his hands.

Percy crossed his arms in an official gesture. "Why can't I be told about my brother's trials and problems?" he asked in a serious tone.

"He told me that I wasn't allowed to... should have never made that promise. Besides, it's his story to tell, I'd make it sound worse than it is." Charlie replied massaging his temples, "_No matter that they are horrible, no matter what anyone says." _he added under his breath.

Percy looked to the floor. In a way, Percy was disappointed that his brother made a stupid and mindless promise such as not telling anyone about Fred's troubles. He looked back to Charlie and sighed. "Very well. I'll let Fred tell me about what's so terrible; but I didn't make such a promise as you did. I can actually tell you what George told me about his life."

Charlie looked up sharply looking slightly shocked. His hands fell to his sides as he blinked at Percy owlishly.

"Really? I thought that he would prefer that no-one should know his secrets. Like Fred, actually." He said finally.

Percy shrugged. "Well, even twins have to have differences, Charlie," he said with an arched eyebrow. "George and Fred can't be exactly identical, you know."

Charlie nodded, "I didn't think that they were, it's just most people prefer to keep their secrets... secrets. Y'know what I mean?" he asked tilting his head slightly.

Percy inclined his head.

"Yes, I know what you mean, Charlie. But George didn't give any indication that I should keep this a secret, so I take that as a signal that I am free to tell you."

"Good enough for me. So, is he okay?" Charlie asked leaning forward slightly, he realised that Percy still hadn't sat down, so motioned for him to do so.

Percy did as his brother suggested and sat down. "George has an issue with people who get close to him."

"He... what?" Charlie said completely confused.

"George doesn't want anyone to get close to him in fear that he might lose them," Percy said, adjusting his glasses. "He's already lost his mother to...cancer, I think it was; his sister moved to America a couple of years ago; and his father ignores him most of the time."

"That's... that's really saddening. No-one should ever have to feel that way." Charlie said quietly, still processing the information.

Percy nodded earnestly, a slight grimace on his face. "And judging from the way he acts so edgy around us, I can tell that he doesn't really want to let us become too close so if one of us...passes, he'll lose another person he loves."

Percy looked to the lonely chessboard that lay on the table, its game unfinished. He paused for a little while before moving a piece and putting the game into play, once more. Percy's framed eyes looked back to Charlie.

"I'm guessing from the way Fred looked when George and I entered here, his news is equally bad or worse than his twin's problems."

Charlie grimaced. He hesitantly moved one of his own pieces, "Uh, I - I think his might be worse. I... wish I could tell you," he finished limply.

Percy glanced down at the chessboard and moved. "I believe that is checkmate, dear brother. We should be going to class now, Charlie." Percy stood up and smiled at his brother before walking to the boys' dorms to collect his books.

"Every. Damn. Time." Charlie grumbled, staring at the chess board in dismay. Sighing he stood to go and gather his belongings.


	13. Confessions

**This is quite possibly the longest chapter that there will be in this story. I couldn't torture you with a cliff hanger.**

-F&G-

George pulled up his bed sheet with a hopeful look on his face, but it disappeared when he saw that his Defence Against the Dark Arts book wasn't there.

Slowly, he ran his hand through his hair muttering, "But I swear I've looked _everywhere_ for that bloody book!"

"So what did you drag me up here for?" Fred asked leaning casually against the bed post watching George search.

George knelt to the ground and looked under his bed, a blank expression appearing on his face when he saw that the book wasn't there. "Um, did I drag you?" he asked, looking back to his brother with blue eyes.

"Short-term memory loss much?" Fred muttered to himself before continuing in a tone someone would use with a small child, "Yes, you did George. You dragged me up here and then went looking for something."

George smiled. "I was only kidding, Fred. And I'm looking for my Defence Against the Dark Arts book; have you seen it?"

"You were only kidding about dragging me? And it's over here by the way," Fred replied pointing to the book in question.

"Thanks," George said to Fred, walking over to grab the book off of the floor. "And I was kidding about forgetting that I dragged you."

"So care to tell me what possessed you to do it then?" Fred replied walking over to his bed and crossing his legs as he sat down on it, looking at George expectantly.

George sighed, he walked over to his own bed, a bed apart from Fred's and sat down on it. "Um, Percy's been talking to me...about my past, and thinks that you and I should fill each other in about one another."

Fred froze for a split moment, staring at George in shock. He let himself collapse slightly on the bed, ruffling his hair, and let out a shaky breath, clearly preparing himself for an emotional roller coaster ride.

"O-okay George. Why... why don't you go first? It was you that brought it up." Fred finally said, getting over the sudden shock and the thoughts of fleeing that had been literally beaten into him from an early age.

"Um, me?" George replied, gulping slightly.

Fred and George sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, until Fred broke it.

"Or, y'know, we could ask each other a question each. Take it in turns. Less nerve racking that way." he proposed quietly.

George nodded and spoke, "so...are your parents nice?" He hoped they were. Fred didn't deserve a bad mother and father.

"Um, well, my mum is. My father... not so much... er, so what about you? Are your parents nice?" he replied quietly.

_What? Fred's dad was bad? _

"Um, my mum's, well, dead...and my dad kinda ignores me, most of the time…" George muttered. "Your turn to ask..."

Fred shot George a slightly worried look.

"Did you ever have any siblings? I didn't," Fred asked, still timidly.

"I have a bigger sister," George said with a weak smile, but it disappeared as soon as it came. "Her name's Amalie..." George looked at the floor. "This is still kind of awkward..."

"Would you rather get your life story out in one go? Your turn to ask a question..." Fred replied slowly regaining his composure.

"Okay...Did you ever meet your- I mean, _our_ real mum?" George asked, looking at Fred expectantly.

"I did actually. We lived close to them; they used to visit when I was younger. I didn't know who they were." Fred answered frowning slightly at the memory. "So uh... I want to know what happened to you last night. Why were you so out of it?"

George looked at his feet, suddenly very intrigued by his shoe. "Um, I started daydreaming last night...about my best friend..." he cleared his throat. "Dying..."

"Why would you dream that your friend died? Are they okay?" Fred replied a worried look passing his face. "Are you okay?" he added after.

"I don't know," George said, putting his hands up defensively. "The thought just popped into my head! And no, John is dead." George put his face in his hands.

"You... you aren't kidding are you." Fred asked watching his twin warily. George slumped even more after Fred asked him that question, making Fred worry even more. "Oh, George..."

A few tears hit the floor below George's face. "It's okay, I'm fine," George whispered after a while. "I'll be fine."

"Liar," Fred called to him, slowly approaching his counter-part.

"You don't understand, Fred," George said, looking at his brother. "I really will be fine. I have had to live through my mother dying, my best friend dying, and my sister move to America leaving me alone with a father who doesn't really _want_ me to live with him. I. Will. Be. Okay."

"No you won't George. It never goes away does it? It always hurts. Always. And it'll hurt until you die - but don't you go all suicidal on me, that's not the point here. I know how you feel. The pain, the guilt… None of it is your fault you know." Fred replied firmly, still edging closer.

"How would _you_ know?" George spat accusingly.

"Not everyone has the typical dream family, y'know. My family just hurt me in a different way to yours." Fred replied wavering slightly. He finally made it to George and stood silently beside him.

"What?" George asked softly, looking up at Fred.

Fred let out a shaky breath. He turned slightly looking straight into his twins' eyes.

"My father is a Death Eater. The only reason I was accepted into the family was because of my mother. Rolf – he's my father - he hated me because my mum was becoming nicer while he was trapped under the influence of the Death Eaters. First it was just shouting, yelling. Mostly towards me, but soon he started doing it to mother. One of my earliest memories is of..." Fred gulped, shook his head and turned away from George. He wandered away and was soon back where he started from - his bed. He gripped the post at the end of the bed, taking shaky breaths. "M-my memory is f-from when I was five." he said lowly still turned away from George. "My mum didn't do something that Rolf had asked her to do... He went to beat her. I- I intervened. I remember him smiling cruelly at my mum, pointing in my direction harshly. Then there was the pain. It's..." Fred shook his head, seemingly trying to dispel some memory. "The cruciatus curse, an unforgivable. It's... indescribable. And it hurts so, so much." he practically whimpered.

George suddenly stood up and firmly hugged his twin.

"I'm sorry, Fred...so sorry that you had to go through that..."

He stepped back and his face turned stony; something it had never done before. George clenched his fists.

"I will _kill_ your father if I ever see him hurt you, Fred. I can promise you that."

But what George hadn't noticed was how Fred had yelped when he had touched him and how he had curled in on himself after he had released him. Fred was now on the floor arms up protecting his head and rocking back and forth, whimpering. George noticed when he realised that Fred didn't reply. George leaned in towards Fred and could hear him muttering quietly,

"Please, I won't do it again! I just wanted to go to school. _Please_... Don't hurt me... I'll be good…I- I promise!" Fred was muttering, sometimes repeating himself. He was also shaking and seemingly steeling himself for some sort of punishment.

"Fred...what's wrong?" George asked, concerned for his brother. "Are you alright?"

"Please don't hurt me." Fred whispered somehow managing to curl into himself even more.

"Fred, it's me. George," the worried twin said, reaching out to help Fred. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

"N-no! Please! D-don't... G-George..." Fred stammered shaking uncontrollably.

George flinched back, never taking his blue eyes from Fred's troubled face.

_What was wrong with Fred?_

"Fred, I think we should both see Professor Dumbledore," George said, helping his brother up, no matter his protests. "You...you aren't acting natural."

Fred struggled hysterically for a moment while in George's grasp, until he suddenly went limp in George's arms.

"Please... let me go I'll be good I promise..." Fred said quietly still shuddering.

George started as Fred suddenly fell into his arms as a limp heap. "Fred? What's going on?"

"Please... I won't do it again. Please, no more!" Fred whimpered.

George looked around, wondering what to do with his brother.

"Please let me go! Please... Rolf..." Fred moaned he suddenly started fighting against George once again.

"Rolf?" George asked, but Fred didn't hear him. He was suddenly plunged into the memories of one of the worst beatings of his life.

_"Boy where are you?" Rolf called. Fred was around seven at the time, nearing his eighth birthday._

_"Uh, yes Rolf?" Fred tentatively called. This was bad. His mother was out and there was no-one but Rolf and himself in the house._

_Rolf strode into the room, his ice blue eyes staring maliciously at Fred. "What are you doing?" he asked his voice cold and harsh._

_"Uh, nothing?" Fred said with an empty bravado._

_"Good," the man replied, suddenly grabbing Fred by the wrist. "Come with me."_

_"I don't want to. Leave me alone." Fred replied fighting against Rolf's hold on him._

_Rolf's head jerked towards Fred. "_What did you say?"_he asked. Fred had made a big mistake._

_"I said I'm not coming. I'm staying here." Fred repeated._

_Rolf snarled, making Fred flinch back a slight bit. "You should _never_ disagree with me, boy."_

_"Why not?" Fred countered, throwing any chance of survival out the window._

**_**_Warnings! this is pretty heavy stuff here...****

_Rolf didn't need to answer. He took out his wand and pointed it towards Fred. "Be grateful I don't _kill _you right now. _Crucio!"

_The pain surged through Fred's veins, making him scream in agony as it burned and spread through his body like a virus that had just entered its new host. __He soon stopped the curse. "No. No, that's way too good a punishment for you. Come boy." Rolf pulled him up onto his feet and pushed him forward._

_Fred stumbled and turned towards Rolf before he could do anything else harmful without him knowing._

_Rolf growled and levitated him out the door with him._

_Fred panicked and started to thrash about wildly, trying to get out of Rolf's grip. _

_"Where are you taking me?" he shouted, angry yet slightly frightened._

_"To my cellar. We won't be disturbed there." Rolf replied neutrally._

_"The...the cellar?" Fred asked, suddenly very scared. Rolf's cellar was the place where he would go after fighting with either him or his mother in a furious rage. From the house, there would usually be loud and horrendous noises coming from it once Rolf got down there._

_"Yes the cellar, boy. I'm going to introduce you to a couple of my things." Rolf snarled at Fred flinging the door open and levitating Fred inside._

_Fred whimpered slightly, wondering what terrible 'things' his adoptive father want to show him._

_Rolf threw Fred against a wall covered with chains. Rolf walked up behind him grabbed his wrists and chained him there. _

_Fred struggled helplessly. "What are you going to do to me?" he whispered, but loud enough for Rolf to hear._

_"You need to be taught a lesson," Rolf stated walking over past many sinister looking items. He came back carrying a cat-o'-nine-tails whip._

_Fred gasped and struggled further, trying to get out of the chains before severe pain-_real_ severe pain-would hurt him to the point where his voice would be lost to screams of agony. _

_"Please, no!" he cried out desperately. "What have I done wrong?"_

_"You don't belong here boy. I haven't even whipped you yet and your bravado is all gone." Rolf smirked he twisted the whip in his hands. "I wonder how it'll get if I do more than just beat you?" _

_Fred hung his head in defeat. He wasn't going to get out of this one. But, then again, when did he ever get out of Rolf's punishments? Oh, that's right: Never._

_Rolf cracked the whip against the wall beside him making Fred jump. _

_"I know how to make this better," Rolf said to himself. Rolf made his way to Fred and ripped his shirt open, exposing his flesh underneath. "Now it'll hurt more."_

_Fred closed his eyes tight and waited for the pain to come with a heavy heart. Eventually, after Rolf finished smiling like a madman and twisting the whip in his hand, the first lash came, making Fred cry out in could feel blood making its way down his back. _

_"I think about fifty will do. Then we can move onto something...just as entertaining." Rolf smirked. He cracked the whip against Fred again, setting Fred's back ablaze. Fred shuddered as he felt his blood running down his back faster than it had been._

_The whipping continued for ten minutes. Ten horrible minutes until fifty lashings had been done, Rolf's evil laughter ringing throughout the cellar, echoing in Fred's head. His back was dripping with blood that came from deep gashes made by the cat-o'-nine-tails Rolf wielded in his hands. Fred took shuddering breaths, tear streaks visible on his small, pale face._

_"I'm surprised at you boy. You didn't even scream. Congrats. Now on to more entertainment." Rolf said in a rather mocking manner. He disappeared but soon came back. _

_Rolf entered with a steaming metal bowl filled with an obviously boiling substance. Fred stared in curious horror as he tried to figure out what Rolf was going to do with it. _

_"I think we should seal those wounds, don't you agree?" Rolf smirked evilly._

_Fred whimpered as he caught a glimpse of what was in the bowl. Molten silver boiled and steamed inside, bubbling menacingly at Fred. The traumatized boy looked at Rolf with a horrified look in his eyes._

_"Hold still now. This is going to sting. A lot." Rolf said in an amused manner. He approached the prone form of Fred and slowly started tipping the silver into his wounds._

_Fred opened his mouth in a silent scream as the silver slipped into his gashes, stinging and burning them immensely. His muscles were tense as he tried to resist screaming out in agony and giving Rolf the pleasure of knowing he had successfully managed to make Fred cry out in pain._

_"All you have to do is scream _Freddie_, I can make it stop." Rolf whispered._

_"Never." Fred said in a voice that was barely audible,_

_"Suit yourself lad. I'm not going to let up until I hear you beg and scream." Rolf told him smiling sadistically. He poured more melted silver onto Fred's raw flesh._

_Fred shook and trembled as the molten metal ran along his skin, burning him severely. Once the silver ran out and Fred hadn't made a single noise, Rolf grumbled to himself as he walked out the door to present another evil torture system. _

Please, make it stop,_ Fred thought in agony to himself, knowing that no one would hear him._This is too unbearable...

_Rolf soon came back wheeling in a rather old cupboard. He walked over to Fred and turned him around so his ravaged back was against the wall. _

_"Here we have a peculiar item. This is called a boggart. It shows you your greatest fear. What's your greatest fear, Freddie?" Rolf taunted making his way back to the cupboard and releasing the boggart. _

_The creature was released into the cellar and transformed into Rolf and Maria, the latter on the floor and shielding her face. The boggart-Rolf was holding a cane, its head shining slightly._

_"Look boy, enjoy it while it lasts. I know I will." Rolf whispered to Fred._

_The boggart-Rolf raised the cane with one hand and brought it down hard on Maria, making her scream in pain. Fred started and tried to get out of the chains and save his mother before anything truly disastrous happened._

_"All you have to do is scream and beg. Just scream and beg." Rolf taunted with a smirk, while watching the boggart beat a copy of his wife._

_Fred watched helplessly as Maria screamed out when Rolf beat her. The boggart-Rolf continued to hit Maria with unbearable force, striking her to the ground again and again. Once Maria fell to the floor, still, yet just breathing in small, ragged breaths with blood spattered on her body, Fred broke._

_"_Stop it!"_ he cried out, not bearing to see his mother die in front of his eyes. "Please, don't hurt her anymore!"_

_"Beg. Beg me to save her and maybe I will." Rolf smirked at him._

_Fred sobbed and closed his eyes. The boggart raised the cane once more, preparing to give the final blow to Maria, and Fred's eyes snapped open. "I _begyou_ to stop, Rolf! Leave her alone! I'll do anything! Just stop!"_

_"Riddikulus," Rolf said joyfully. He managed to enclose the boggart back into its cupboard before turning back to Fred. "Now I want you to scream. Do not worry, I'll give you enough reason to." he said, amusement clear on his features. He walked away one more time and returned carrying a branding iron. _

_Fred struggled once more before stopping. There was no use in trying to escape; Rolf was going to brand him and make him scream._

_Rolf strode up to Fred in a slightly cocky manner. He ripped away whatever was left of Fred's shirt, smirked at Fred evilly and pushed the iron into his chest. _

_The pain burned into him like the whipping, but this was__much__ more intense, as it focused on one specific area. Fred couldn't help but scream out as the branding iron pressed into his pale white chest and left a red hot mark there._

_"Good boy." Rolf said pulling the iron away. He unchained Fred and left him lying on the ground in agony._

****Safe(ish) to look now****

_A few hours after Rolf left, Maria came downstairs to the cellar to see if Fred had snuck in here while she was away, only to find her son lying on the ground with a darkening brand on his chest and silver plastered on his back. She gasped and rushed over to him, kneeling down beside him and inspected the wounds carefully._

_"Oh, Fred what did he do to you?" she whispered. She started working away at the silver, removing chunks of it._

_Fred moaned and his eyes fluttered open. When he saw his mother, he started to cry. "He branded me, mother...it hurt so much..."_

_"Shh, shh. Don't talk Fred. Let me get rid of this first." Maria said in a soothing, calming voice. She worked at the silver and found that some of it was stuck to his flesh too tightly. She worked around it, and realised that some of the silver was never coming off. _

_As Maria tried to take the silver off, Fred tried not to moan. Instead, he clawed at the ground with one free hand and shut his eyes tightly. When his mother stopped, Fred bent his back and let out a sigh of relief. "It aches..." _

_"I can't get any more of it off. I'm sorry Fred." Maria whispered._

_"It's okay, mother," the boy replied, hugging Maria tightly. "I'm grateful all the same."_

_"You be careful, you're still weak. Try not to move too much." She replied hugging him tenderly, avoiding his wounds. _

_"Let me try and get rid of this brand now," she whispered after a while._

_"But, how?" Fred asked. He always thought that brands were permanent and stayed on your body forever, like a tattoo._

_"I won't be able to get rid of it entirely, but if I glamour it, you won't be able to see it. If the glamour wears off come to me and I'll fix it." Maria told him gently._

_Fred nodded and looked at his mother who took out her wand, handling it carefully as if it would break if she dropped it._

_"I promise it'll all be okay in the end Fred." Maria promised him once she had finished the charm._

-Meanwhile-

George started when Fred fell unconscious. He took hold of his brother protectively,

"Fred? Fred! Wake up!"

He looked around before racing out the bedroom door, attempting to bring Fred in his arms. "Someone help! Please!" he called out in desperation.

Charlie, who was still in the common room, waiting diligently for Percy who had still not come back down after beating him at chess, looked up and saw one of the twins struggling to carry the other, one of them unconscious. He jumped over towards his newly acquired twin siblings,

"What happened?" he asked in a low demanding tone taking Fred from George and, feeling extra concerned when he felt how light his unconscious brother was, ran to the hospital wing with George following him.

George spoke in a worried tone, "I don't know! We were just talking then I hugged him and he suddenly curled into a ball! I tried helping him up but he fought against me then went limp...What did I do wrong?" George and Charlie entered the hospital wing, pushing the doors open hurriedly. This alarmed Poppy who rushed over to Fred, taking him from his siblings.

"You're George right? Yes okay, um..." Charlie said intelligently, "How much did he tell you?" he finally asked as Fred was being levitated onto a bed, Pomfrey asking no questions yet.

"He only told me that his father hurt him," George replied, looking after his twin in concern

Charlie nodded in response. "You said he collapsed in on himself, was he doing anything else?" he asked still emitting a fierce calmness.

George thought for a moment. "He was muttering stuff like 'Please, don't hurt me'..." the redhead replied to his older brother. "Is that a problem?"

Charlie groaned and brought a hand to his head.

"Just his luck. He's probably traumatised from the beatings. He's probably passed out from a panic attack. I would be careful when hugging or touching him. Make sure that he knows that you or anyone is about to touch him. Like a blind person, but even more careful. You'll need to look after him, George." Charlie muttered after a brief moment of tense silence.

"But, what if he freaks out too much?" George asked worriedly. "What if I can't help him?"

"You'll be fine George. When he wakes, he'll probably be embarrassed that he fell apart like this, but don't let him push you away George. Let fate run its course. Try being his best friend." Charlie said comfortingly, placing his hand on George's shoulder.

George hugged Charlie tightly before letting go and looking at Fred again. _Please be okay, Fred. I didn't mean to startle you..._


	14. Pranking is fun

**Right. Hello you lot. I am needing some ideas for what the twins will do in this year of Hogwarts. Anyone have some ideas? **

-Later-

Bright lights pierced the peace that Fred had been wrapped up in, wincing, he brought up a hand to block the light. He heard a gasp and felt someone sit beside him. He could practically feel the worried look that the person was directing at him.

"Fred?" George asked in absolute concern. "Are you feeling okay?"

"G-George? I'm confused. Where are we?" Fred asked his look-a-like as he sat up slowly, dismissing that his head started to spin at the gesture.

"You freaked out after I hugged you..." George said, trailing off when his sentence reached the end. "Charlie told me after how you'd react badly to people touching you without telling you first. He said that it was probably from the abuse...I mean, I just thought..."

Fred paled slightly. "So that wasn't a dream then. I... I'm sorry for doing that to you George. I don't want to burden you… I'll just leave." he muttered sliding off the bed quickly, attempting to escape.

"No, don't!" George practically begged, reaching out for his twin's hand, but thought better of it. "I don't want you to go...I don't want to be lonely again..."

Fred paused at the end of the bed. He turned to George and was staring at him sympathetically. "I'll just hold you back George. If... if... _that_ happens every time someone hugs me. Who knows what else I'll do. I'd just hold you back. G-go make some friends, George. Better friends than me." he muttered after a moment.

George stood up defiantly, a determined look on his face. "Fred, I just found out you were my brother, my _twin, _for crying out loud! I know that I'd have a mental breakdown if you died, if you left. I still want you to be my friend; my _best_ friend, Fred. Not just someone that will leave my side once they find a better friend to be with, than a git of a redheaded prankster. I am _not_ letting you go, Fred. Ever."

Fred let out a shaky breath and gripped the end of the bed, never letting his gaze leave George.

"Y-you what? I don't think you know what you are saying George." he said, his voice shaking, looking for some sign of deceit and lies.

"I mean what I say, Fred," George said, his eyes a serious blue. "I would never lie to you, and you know it."

Fred stood there staring at George, his eyes slowly filling up with tears, his breathing irregular.

"B-but w-what if..." Fred closed his eyes and shook his head, biting his lip. "G-George... I…" he slowly opened his eyes and opened his arms, even though he was still shaking and overly emotional, for George to give him a hug, just like earlier, but with slightly less drama.

George flew into them, tears falling down his face, the stony expression lost and gone with the wind. "I promise...I promise I will never let you go, Fred," he said to twin, choking up a bit.

Fred started sobbing quietly on his shoulder, only George could hear him.

"B-but what if y-you do George? I don't want to go b-back to m-my family. I don't wa-want to do it on my o-own. This is the f-first time I've ev-ever seen anyone my own a-age before. W-what do I… _we_, w-what do we d-do, George?" he stammered through his quiet tears.

George hugged Fred even tighter. "I'll go with you," he said quietly. "I'll go with you to your parents' house during the holidays. If you father hurts you, I'll make sure to get hurt as well. I'll treat your wounds, help you, and do _anything_ if it means I won't lose you...We've only just found each other, let's stay together,"

Fred froze. "No! I won't let you! I won't let him hurt you t-too." He said giving George the sternest look that he'd ever received in his life. It probably would have had him cowering in a corner if Fred didn't have tears streaming down his face. "We'll figure something o-out, after all, we've still got the rest of the year... Speaking of which, have we missed the first lesson?"

George thought for a moment before smiling. "Yes, I believe we have."

"That'll go down well with the teachers. Shall we arrive entirely too late for it to be fashionable? We can figure the rest of this stuff out later." Fred sighed leaving the comfort of his twins' arms.

"I think we should burst into the classroom with a loud _bang_, eh, Fred?" George smirked devilishly.

"I like your thinking brother dearest. What do you have in mind?" Fred asked letting a mischievous smile grace his features

George's smile widened. "I brought some...supplies with me to Hogwarts. Shall we go and get them?"

"Muggle supplies? Do they work?" Fred asked warily.

"You better believe it, Fred," George laughed to his twin. "To the boys' dorms!"

"Okay, right behind you!" Fred replied letting George lead the way to the dorms.

-Later once more -

"You sure this is the right class room, George? It'll still be hilarious, but we might get into more trouble." Fred asked quietly to his twin as they stood outside a large wooden door, covered in patterns. "Am I still setting the 'firey-workers' off, George? With my wand, I mean." he added soon after.

George nodded, but was a bit uncertain. "I'm pretty sure it's the right classroom..." he said, trailing off, but coming back to focus quickly. He turned to Fred. "Are you ready to set the fireworks off?"

Fred nodded, "Yep, I can set the fire-workers off. All it needs is Incendio."

George looked back to the door. "Okay, on the count of 'three'," he said, taking the fireworks out of his robe pocket. "One. Two. _Three_!_"_

Fred called out the spell, setting the fireworks ablaze. The fireworks were soon at the end of their wicks and the two twins hurriedly opened the doors.

All the students in the Transfiguration classroom turned their heads towards the strange noise, a couple of muggleborn girls screaming out and ducking when they saw the fireworks in action. Professor McGonagall's eyes had narrowed down to a dangerous size. A boy suddenly shouted "HIT THE DECK!" as the fireworks zoomed into the classroom letting out loud _bangs_and releasing multi-coloured sparks that showered on the students like droplets of glowing rain.

Eventually the fireworks fizzled out, leaving the class to look at the two grinning red-heads in the doorway. "Hello all. We- that is George and I- we would like to know, is this the first years transfiguration class?" Fred called into the still shell shocked classroom.

The students just stared at the two twins.

"We would prefer it if you'd answer. I for one, think that we went to the wrong classroom." Fred continued at the lack of response from the people in the room.

McGonagall stood up, a stern look upon her wrinkled and old features. "Fredrick and George Weasley! Sit down at _once_ and see me after class!"

"Sure thing Professor!" the two called making their way to the only sate desks in the room. They sat smiling innocently at the professor now growling at them.

McGonagall narrowed her eyes and continued with the Transfiguration class until the bell rung. She sat down at her seat and waited impatiently for the two Weasley boys to come to her desk.

"How are you today professor?" George asked causally.

The professor frowned. "Mister Weasley, are you aware in the slightest that you and your brother came late and disrupted my class?"

"Yes, we were aware. We decided it would be better to turn up now than not at all." George answered, glancing at Fred from the corner of his eye. Just like he had been doing since the two had entered the class. Fred was clearly a master at disguising his emotions. The only sign that he was particularly emotional was by the stutter. If he was stuttering he was on the verge of a breakdown. Fred had been suspiciously quiet since they entered the class

McGonagall turned to Fred. "And could you possibly tell me _why_ you were late, exactly, Fredrick?"

Fred jumped at the sudden appearance of his name in the conversation.

"Oh, uh, we were at the hospital wing, Professor." he answered still slightly jumpy.

McGonagall arched one of her grey eyebrows. "And why were you with Madam Pomfrey at the Hospital Wing?"

"Um..." Fred squirmed in his seat looking at George pleading with his eyes.

"Must you know Professor? Madam Pomfrey knew we were there, she can give us clearance or whatever." George cut in.

The professor knew they were hiding something, but she didn't want to press too far.

"Very well, boys," she said, a dismissive tone in her voice. "You are free to leave, but don't come late to my class again, understand?"

"Yes Professor!" they both called leaving the classroom heading to lunch, Transfiguration having been their only lesson that morning.


End file.
